Phrase Indexing

ABSTRACT

Intent-resolution using a phrase index may include obtaining data expressing a usage intent, the data indicating an unresolved data portion, identifying a phrase fragment based on the data expressing the usage intent and a phrase pattern, the phrase fragment including the unresolved data portion, identifying candidate tokens, identifying candidate phrases by traversing a phrase index based on the phrase fragment, wherein identifying the candidate phrases includes, in response to a determination that the phrase index includes an indexed phrase at least partially matching the phrase fragment in accordance with the phrase pattern, the indexed phrase is identified as one of the candidate phrases, identifying candidate resolved-requests, weighting and sorting the candidate tokens, the candidate phrases, and the candidate resolved-request, to obtain sorted candidate resolutions, and outputting one or more of the sorted candidate resolutions for presentation to a user as respective candidates for resolving the unresolved data portion.

BACKGROUND

Advances in computer storage and database technology have led toexponential growth of the amount of data being created. Businesses areoverwhelmed by the volume of the data stored in their computer systems.Existing database analytic tools are inefficient, costly to utilize,and/or require substantial configuration and training.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are implementations of using a phrase index in alow-latency database analysis system.

An aspect of the disclosure is a method of using a phrase index in alow-latency database analysis system. Using a phrase index in alow-latency database analysis system may include intent-resolution usinga phrase index. Intent-resolution using a phrase index may includeobtaining data expressing a usage intent, the data expressing the usageintent indicating an unresolved data portion, identifying a phrasefragment based on the data expressing the usage intent and a definedphrase pattern, the phrase fragment including the unresolved dataportion, and identifying zero or more candidate tokens by traversing atoken index based on the phrase fragment. Intent-resolution using aphrase index may include identifying, by a processor, zero or morecandidate phrases by traversing a phrase index based on the phrasefragment, wherein identifying the candidate phrases includes, inresponse to a determination that the phrase index includes an indexedphrase at least partially matching the phrase fragment in accordancewith the defined phrase pattern, the indexed phrase is identified as oneof the candidate phrases. Intent-resolution using a phrase index mayinclude identifying zero or more candidate resolved-requests bytraversing a resolved-request index based on the data expressing theusage intent, weighting the candidate tokens, the candidate phrases, andthe candidate resolved-request, to obtain zero or more weightedcandidate tokens, zero or more weighted candidate phrases, and zero ormore weighted candidate resolved-request, sorting the weighted candidatetokens, the weighted candidate phrases, and the weighted candidateresolved-request to obtain sorted candidate resolutions, and outputtingone or more of the sorted candidate resolutions for presentation to auser as respective candidates for resolving the unresolved data portion.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a method of using a phrase index ina low-latency database analysis system. Using a phrase index in alow-latency database analysis system may include obtaining dataexpressing a usage intent, the data expressing the usage intentindicating an unresolved data portion, identifying a phrase fragmentbased on the data expressing the usage intent and a defined phrasepattern, the phrase fragment including the unresolved data portion, andidentifying, by a processor, zero or more candidate phrases by searchinga phrase index based on the phrase fragment. Identifying the candidatephrases may include, in response to a determination that the phraseindex includes one or more indexed phrases at least partially matchingthe phrase fragment in accordance with the defined phrase pattern, theindexed phrases are identified as candidate phrases, and, in response toa determination that the phrase index omits an indexed phrase matchingthe phrase fragment, indexing the phrase fragment in the phrase index.Using a phrase index in a low-latency database analysis system mayinclude outputting one or more of the candidate phrases for presentationto a user as respective candidates for resolving the unresolved dataportion.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a low-latency database analysissystem. The low-latency database analysis system includes a systemaccess interface unit configured to generate data expressing a usageintent, the data expressing the usage intent indicating an unresolveddata portion, and a relational search unit. The relational search unitis configured to obtain the data expressing the usage intent from thesystem access interface unit, identify a phrase fragment based on thedata expressing the usage intent and a defined phrase pattern, thephrase fragment including the unresolved data portion, identify zero ormore candidate tokens by traversing a token index based on the phrasefragment, identify zero or more candidate phrases by traversing a phraseindex based on the phrase fragment, wherein traversing the phrase indexincludes, in response to a determination that the phrase index includesan indexed phrase at least partially matching the phrase fragment inaccordance with the defined phrase pattern, identifying the indexedphrase as one of the candidate phrases, wherein the indexed phrase isassociated with a user associated with the data expressing the usageintent, in response to a determination that the phrase index omits anindexed phrase matching the phrase fragment, index the phrase fragmentin the phrase index, identify zero or more candidate resolved-requestsby traversing a resolved-request index based on the data expressing theusage intent, weight the candidate tokens, the candidate phrases, andthe candidate resolved-request, to obtain zero or more weightedcandidate tokens, zero or more weighted candidate phrases, and zero ormore weighted candidate resolved-requests, sort the weighted candidatetokens, the weighted candidate phrases, and the weighted candidateresolved-requests to obtain sorted candidate resolutions, and output oneor more of the sorted candidate resolutions to the system accessinterface unit. The system access interface unit is configured topresent one or more of the sorted candidate resolutions to the user asrespective candidates for resolving the unresolved data portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure is best understood from the following detaileddescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Itis emphasized that, according to common practice, the various featuresof the drawings are not to-scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a computing system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example of a low-latency databaseanalysis system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of a portion of an indexing unitof a low-latency database analysis system.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example of phrase indexing in alow-latency database analysis system.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example of intent-resolution using aphrase index in a low-latency database analysis system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Businesses and other organizations store large amounts of data, such asbusiness records, transaction records, and the like, in data storagesystems, such as relational database systems that store data as records,or rows, having values, or fields, corresponding to respective columnsin tables that can be interrelated using key values. Databasesstructures are often normalized or otherwise organized to maximize datadensity and to maximize transactional data operations at the expense ofincreased complexity and reduced accessibility for analysis. Individualrecords and tables may have little or no utility without substantialcorrelation, interpretation, and analysis. The complexity of these datastructures and the large volumes of data that can be stored thereinlimit the accessibility of the data and require substantial skilledhuman resources to code procedures and tools that allow business usersto access useful data. The tools that are available for accessing thesesystems are limited to outputting data expressly requested by the usersand lack the capability to identify and prioritize data other than thedata expressly requested. Useful data, such as data aggregations,patterns, and statistical anomalies that would not be available insmaller data sets (e.g., 10,000 rows of data), and may not be apparentto human users, may be derivable using the large volume of data (e.g.,millions or billions of rows) stored in complex data storage systems,such as relational database systems, but may be inaccessible due to thecomplexity and limitations of the data storage systems.

The low-latency database analysis system may improve the efficiency,accuracy, and accessibility of databases and data analysis systems byobtaining data representing a usage intent, such as user input data, inan unresolved, database agnostic, form, such as string data, andperforming intent-resolution to resolve the data representing the usageintent such that each portion of the data representing the usage intentis identified as corresponding to defined data in the low-latencydatabase analysis system, or is identified as unresolvable.Intent-resolution using a token index may resolve respective tokens inthe data representing the usage intent, may omit resolving phraseswithin the data representing the usage intent, and may omit resolvingthe data representing the usage intent to a previously resolved request.

Intent-resolution using a token index and a resolved-request index mayfurther improve the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of databasesand data analysis systems by resolving respective tokens in the datarepresenting the usage intent and resolving the data representing theusage intent to previously resolved requests, which may improve theefficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of databases and data analysissystems by reducing the resource utilization associated with obtainingthe data representing the usage intent, reducing the potential for errorin the data representing the usage intent, and reducing the cognitiveload for the user by outputting candidate resolutions identified bytraversing the token index and the resolved-request index.

Intent-resolution using a token index, a resolved-request index, and aphrase index may further improve the efficiency, accuracy, andaccessibility of databases and data analysis systems by resolvingrespective tokens in the data representing the usage intent, resolvingthe data representing the usage intent to previously resolved requests,and resolving respective phrases in the data representing the usageintent, which may improve the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility ofdatabases and data analysis systems by reducing the resource utilizationassociated with obtaining the data representing the usage intent,reducing the potential for error in the data representing the usageintent, and reducing the cognitive load for the user by outputtingcandidate resolutions identified by traversing the token index, thephrase index, the resolved-request index. Phrases identified byintent-resolution, such as phrases previously omitted from the phraseindex, may be indexed in the phrase index.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device 1000. Oneor more aspects of this disclosure may be implemented using thecomputing device 1000. The computing device 1000 includes a processor1100, static memory 1200, low-latency memory 1300, an electroniccommunication unit 1400, a user interface 1500, a bus 1600, and a powersource 1700. Although shown as a single unit, any one or more element ofthe computing device 1000 may be integrated into any number of separatephysical units. For example, the low-latency memory 1300 and theprocessor 1100 may be integrated in a first physical unit and the userinterface 1500 may be integrated in a second physical unit. Although notshown in FIG. 1, the computing device 1000 may include other aspects,such as an enclosure or one or more sensors.

The computing device 1000 may be a stationary computing device, such asa personal computer (PC), a server, a workstation, a minicomputer, or amainframe computer; or a mobile computing device, such as a mobiletelephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, or a tablet PC.

The processor 1100 may include any device or combination of devicescapable of manipulating or processing a signal or other information,including optical processors, quantum processors, molecular processors,or a combination thereof. The processor 1100 may be a central processingunit (CPU), such as a microprocessor, and may include one or moreprocessing units, which may respectively include one or more processingcores. The processor 1100 may include multiple interconnectedprocessors. For example, the multiple processors may be hardwired ornetworked, including wirelessly networked. In some implementations, theoperations of the processor 1100 may be distributed across multiplephysical devices or units that may be coupled directly or across anetwork. In some implementations, the processor 1100 may include acache, or cache memory, for internal storage of operating data orinstructions. The processor 1100 may include one or more special purposeprocessors, one or more digital signal processor (DSP), one or moremicroprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more microcontrollers,one or more integrated circuits, one or more an Application SpecificIntegrated Circuits, one or more Field Programmable Gate Array, one ormore programmable logic arrays, one or more programmable logiccontrollers, firmware, one or more state machines, or any combinationthereof.

The processor 1100 may be operatively coupled with the static memory1200, the low-latency memory 1300, the electronic communication unit1400, the user interface 1500, the bus 1600, the power source 1700, orany combination thereof. The processor may execute, which may includecontrolling, such as by sending electronic signals to, receivingelectronic signals from, or both, the static memory 1200, thelow-latency memory 1300, the electronic communication unit 1400, theuser interface 1500, the bus 1600, the power source 1700, or anycombination thereof to execute, instructions, programs, code,applications, or the like, which may include executing one or moreaspects of an operating system, and which may include executing one ormore instructions to perform one or more aspects described herein, aloneor in combination with one or more other processors.

The static memory 1200 is coupled to the processor 1100 via the bus 1600and may include non-volatile memory, such as a disk drive, or any formof non-volatile memory capable of persistent electronic informationstorage, such as in the absence of an active power supply. Althoughshown as a single block in FIG. 1, the static memory 1200 may beimplemented as multiple logical or physical units.

The static memory 1200 may store executable instructions or data, suchas application data, an operating system, or a combination thereof, foraccess by the processor 1100. The executable instructions may beorganized into programmable modules or algorithms, functional programs,codes, code segments, or combinations thereof to perform one or moreaspects, features, or elements described herein. The application datamay include, for example, user files, database catalogs, configurationinformation, or a combination thereof. The operating system may be, forexample, a desktop or laptop operating system; an operating system for amobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet device; or an operatingsystem for a large device, such as a mainframe computer.

The low-latency memory 1300 is coupled to the processor 1100 via the bus1600 and may include any storage medium with low-latency data accessincluding, for example, DRAM modules such as DDR SDRAM, Phase-ChangeMemory (PCM), flash memory, or a solid-state drive. Although shown as asingle block in FIG. 1, the low-latency memory 1300 may be implementedas multiple logical or physical units. Other configurations may be used.For example, low-latency memory 1300, or a portion thereof, andprocessor 1100 may be combined, such as by using a system on a chipdesign.

The low-latency memory 1300 may store executable instructions or data,such as application data for low-latency access by the processor 1100.The executable instructions may include, for example, one or moreapplication programs, that may be executed by the processor 1100. Theexecutable instructions may be organized into programmable modules oralgorithms, functional programs, codes, code segments, and/orcombinations thereof to perform various functions described herein.

The low-latency memory 1300 may be used to store data that is analyzedor processed using the systems or methods described herein. For example,storage of some or all data in low-latency memory 1300 instead of staticmemory 1200 may improve the execution speed of the systems and methodsdescribed herein by permitting access to data more quickly by an orderof magnitude or greater (e.g., nanoseconds instead of microseconds).

The electronic communication unit 1400 is coupled to the processor 1100via the bus 1600. The electronic communication unit 1400 may include oneor more transceivers. The electronic communication unit 1400 may, forexample, provide a connection or link to a network via a networkinterface. The network interface may be a wired network interface, suchas Ethernet, or a wireless network interface. For example, the computingdevice 1000 may communicate with other devices via the electroniccommunication unit 1400 and the network interface using one or morenetwork protocols, such as Ethernet, Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), power line communication (PLC),Wi-Fi, infrared, ultra violet (UV), visible light, fiber optic, wireline, general packet radio service (GPRS), Global System for Mobilecommunications (GSM), code-division multiple access (CDMA), Long-TermEvolution (LTE), or other suitable protocols.

The user interface 1500 may include any unit capable of interfacing witha human user, such as a virtual or physical keypad, a touchpad, adisplay, a touch display, a speaker, a microphone, a video camera, asensor, a printer, or any combination thereof. For example, a keypad canconvert physical input of force applied to a key to an electrical signalthat can be interpreted by computing device 1000. In another example, adisplay can convert electrical signals output by computing device 1000to light. The purpose of such devices may be to permit interaction witha human user, for example by accepting input from the human user andproviding output back to the human user. The user interface 1500 mayinclude a display; a positional input device, such as a mouse, touchpad,touchscreen, or the like; a keyboard; or any other human and machineinterface device. The user interface 1500 may be coupled to theprocessor 1100 via the bus 1600. In some implementations, the userinterface 1500 can include a display, which can be a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), a cathode-ray tube (CRT), a light emitting diode (LED)display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an activematrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED), or other suitable display.In some implementations, the user interface 1500, or a portion thereof,may be part of another computing device (not shown). For example, aphysical user interface, or a portion thereof, may be omitted from thecomputing device 1000 and a remote or virtual interface may be used,such as via the electronic communication unit 1400.

The bus 1600 is coupled to the static memory 1200, the low-latencymemory 1300, the electronic communication unit 1400, the user interface1500, and the power source 1700. Although a single bus is shown in FIG.1, the bus 1600 may include multiple buses, which may be connected, suchas via bridges, controllers, or adapters.

The power source 1700 provides energy to operate the computing device1000. The power source 1700 may be a general-purpose alternating-current(AC) electric power supply, or power supply interface, such as aninterface to a household power source. In some implementations, thepower source 1700 may be a single use battery or a rechargeable batteryto allow the computing device 1000 to operate independently of anexternal power distribution system. For example, the power source 1700may include a wired power source; one or more dry cell batteries, suchas nickel-cadmium (NiCad), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride(NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion); solar cells; fuel cells; or any otherdevice capable of powering the computing device 1000.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a computing system 2000. Asshown, the computing system 2000 includes an external data sourceportion 2100, an internal database analysis portion 2200, and a systeminterface portion 2300. The computing system 2000 may include otherelements not shown in FIG. 2, such as computer network elements.

The external data source portion 2100 may be associated with, such ascontrolled by, an external person, entity, or organization(second-party). The internal database analysis portion 2200 may beassociated with, such as created by or controlled by, a person, entity,or organization (first-party). The system interface portion 2300 may beassociated with, such as created by or controlled by, the first-partyand may be accessed by the first-party, the second-party, third-parties,or a combination thereof, such as in accordance with access andauthorization permissions and procedures.

The external data source portion 2100 is shown as including externaldatabase servers 2120 and external application servers 2140. Theexternal data source portion 2100 may include other elements not shownin FIG. 2. The external data source portion 2100 may include externalcomputing devices, such as the computing device 1000 shown in FIG. 1,which may be used by or accessible to the external person, entity, ororganization (second-party) associated with the external data sourceportion 2100, including but not limited to external database servers2120 and external application servers 2140. The external computingdevices may include data regarding the operation of the external person,entity, or organization (second-party) associated with the external datasource portion 2100.

The external database servers 2120 may be one or more computing devicesconfigured to store data in a format and schema determined externallyfrom the internal database analysis portion 2200, such as by asecond-party associated with the external data source portion 2100, or athird party. For example, the external database server 2120 may use arelational database and may include a database catalog with a schema. Insome embodiments, the external database server 2120 may include anon-database data storage structure, such as a text-based datastructure, such as a comma separated variable structure or an extensiblemarkup language formatted structure or file. For example, the externaldatabase servers 2120 can include data regarding the production ofmaterials by the external person, entity, or organization (second-party)associated with the external data source portion 2100, communicationsbetween the external person, entity, or organization (second-party)associated with the external data source portion 2100 and third parties,or a combination thereof. Other data may be included. The externaldatabase may be a structured database system, such as a relationaldatabase operating in a relational database management system (RDBMS),which may be an enterprise database. In some embodiments, the externaldatabase may be an unstructured data source. The external data mayinclude data or content, such as sales data, revenue data, profit data,tax data, shipping data, safety data, sports data, health data, weatherdata, or the like, or any other data, or combination of data, that maybe generated by or associated with a user, an organization, or anenterprise and stored in a database system. For simplicity and clarity,data stored in or received from the external data source portion 2100may be referred to herein as enterprise data.

The external application server 2140 may include application software,such as application software used by the external person, entity, ororganization (second-party) associated with the external data sourceportion 2100. The external application server 2140 may include data ormetadata relating to the application software.

The external database servers 2120, the external application servers2140, or both, shown in FIG. 2 may represent logical units or devicesthat may be implemented on one or more physical units or devices, whichmay be controlled or operated by the first party, the second party, or athird party.

The external data source portion 2100, or aspects thereof, such as theexternal database servers 2120, the external application servers 2140,or both, may communicate with the internal database analysis portion2200, or an aspect thereof, such as one or more of the servers 2220,2240, 2260, and 2280, via an electronic communication medium, which maybe a wired or wireless electronic communication medium. For example, theelectronic communication medium may include a local area network (LAN),a wide area network (WAN), a fiber channel network, the Internet, or acombination thereof.

The internal database analysis portion 2200 is shown as includingservers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280. The servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and2280 may be computing devices, such as the computing device 1000 shownin FIG. 1. Although four servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280 are shown inFIG. 2, other numbers, or cardinalities, of servers may be used. Forexample, the number of computing devices may be determined based on thecapability of individual computing devices, the amount of data to beprocessed, the complexity of the data to be processed, or a combinationthereof. Other metrics may be used for determining the number ofcomputing devices.

The internal database analysis portion 2200 may store data, processdata, or store and process data. The internal database analysis portion2200 may include a distributed cluster (not expressly shown) which mayinclude two or more of the servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280. Theoperation of distributed cluster, such as the operation of the servers2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280 individually, in combination, or both, may bemanaged by a distributed cluster manager. For example, the server 2220may be the distributed cluster manager. In another example, thedistributed cluster manager may be implemented on another computingdevice (not shown). The data and processing of the distributed clustermay be distributed among the servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280, such asby the distributed cluster manager.

Enterprise data from the external data source portion 2100, such as fromthe external database server 2120, the external application server 2140,or both may be imported into the internal database analysis portion2200. The external database server 2120, the external application server2140, or both may be one or more computing devices and may communicatewith the internal database analysis portion 2200 via electroniccommunication. The imported data may be distributed among, processed by,stored on, or a combination thereof, one or more of the servers 2220,2240, 2260, and 2280. Importing the enterprise data may includeimporting or accessing the data structures of the enterprise data.Importing the enterprise data may include generating internal data,internal data structures, or both, based on the enterprise data. Theinternal data, internal data structures, or both may accuratelyrepresent and may differ from the enterprise data, the data structuresof the enterprise data, or both. In some implementations, enterprisedata from multiple external data sources may be imported into theinternal database analysis portion 2200. For simplicity and clarity,data stored or used in the internal database analysis portion 2200 maybe referred to herein as internal data. For example, the internal data,or a portion thereof, may represent, and may be distinct from,enterprise data imported into or accessed by the internal databaseanalysis portion 2200.

The system interface portion 2300 may include one or more client devices2320, 2340. The client devices 2320, 2340 may be computing devices, suchas the computing device 1000 shown in FIG. 1. For example, one of theclient devices 2320, 2340 may be a desktop or laptop computer and theother of the client devices 2320, 2340 may be a mobile device,smartphone, or tablet. One or more of the client devices 2320, 2340 mayaccess the internal database analysis portion 2200. For example, theinternal database analysis portion 2200 may provide one or moreservices, application interfaces, or other electronic computercommunication interfaces, such as a web site, and the client devices2320, 2340 may access the interfaces provided by the internal databaseanalysis portion 2200, which may include accessing the internal datastored in the internal database analysis portion 2200.

In an example, one or more of the client devices 2320, 2340 may send amessage or signal indicating a request for data, which may include arequest for data analysis, to the internal database analysis portion2200. The internal database analysis portion 2200 may receive andprocess the request, which may include distributing the processing amongone or more of the servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280, may generate aresponse to the request, which may include generating or modifyinginternal data, internal data structures, or both, and may output theresponse to the client device 2320, 2340 that sent the request.Processing the request may include accessing one or more internal dataindexes, an internal database, or a combination thereof. The clientdevice 2320, 2340 may receive the response, including the response dataor a portion thereof, and may store, output, or both, the response or arepresentation thereof, such as a representation of the response data,or a portion thereof, which may include presenting the representationvia a user interface on a presentation device of the client device 2320,2340, such as to a user of the client device 2320, 2340.

The system interface portion 2300, or aspects thereof, such as one ormore of the client devices 2320, 2340, may communicate with the internaldatabase analysis portion 2200, or an aspect thereof, such as one ormore of the servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280, via an electroniccommunication medium, which may be a wired or wireless electroniccommunication medium. For example, the electronic communication mediummay include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), afiber channel network, the Internet, or a combination thereof.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example of a low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000. The low-latency database analysis system 3000, oraspects thereof, may be similar to the internal database analysisportion 2200 shown in FIG. 2, except as described herein or otherwiseclear from context. The low-latency database analysis system 3000, oraspects thereof, may be implemented on one or more computing devices,such as servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280 shown in FIG. 2, which may bein a clustered or distributed computing configuration.

The low-latency database analysis system 3000 may store and maintain theinternal data, or a portion thereof, such as low-latency data, in alow-latency memory device, such as the low-latency memory 1300 shown inFIG. 1, or any other type of data storage medium or combination of datastorage devices with relatively fast (low-latency) data access,organized in a low-latency data structure. In some embodiments, thelow-latency database analysis system 3000 may be implemented as one ormore logical devices in a cloud-based configuration optimized forautomatic database analysis.

As shown, the low-latency database analysis system 3000 includes adistributed cluster manager 3100, a security and governance unit 3200, adistributed in-memory database 3300, an enterprise data interface unit3400, a distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500, a semantic interfaceunit 3600, a relational search unit 3700, a natural language processingunit 3710, a data utility unit 3720, an insight unit 3730, an objectsearch unit 3800, an object utility unit 3810, a system configurationunit 3820, a user customization unit 3830, a system access interfaceunit 3900, a real-time collaboration unit 3910, and a third-partyintegration unit 3920, which may be collectively referred to as thecomponents of the low-latency database analysis system 3000.

Although not expressly shown in FIG. 3, one or more of the components ofthe low-latency database analysis system 3000 may be implemented on oneor more operatively connected physical or logical computing devices,such as in a distributed cluster computing configuration, such as theinternal database analysis portion 2200 shown in FIG. 2. Although shownseparately in FIG. 3, one or more of the components of the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000, or respective aspects thereof, may becombined or otherwise organized.

The low-latency database analysis system 3000 may include different,fewer, or additional components not shown in FIG. 3. The aspects orcomponents implemented in an instance of the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000 may be configurable. For example, the insight unit3730 may be omitted or disabled. One or more of the components of thelow-latency database analysis system 3000 may be implemented in a mannersuch that aspects thereof are divided or combined into variousexecutable modules or libraries in a manner which may differ from thatdescribed herein.

The low-latency database analysis system 3000 may implement anapplication programming interface (API), which may monitor, receive, orboth, input signals or messages from external devices and systems,client systems, process received signals or messages, transmitcorresponding signals or messages to one or more of the components ofthe low-latency database analysis system 3000, and output, such astransmit or send, output messages or signals to respective externaldevices or systems. The low-latency database analysis system 3000 may beimplemented in a distributed computing configuration.

The distributed cluster manager 3100 manages the operative configurationof the low-latency database analysis system 3000. Managing the operativeconfiguration of the low-latency database analysis system 3000 mayinclude controlling the implementation of and distribution of processingand storage across one or more logical devices operating on one or morephysical devices, such as the servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280 shownin FIG. 2. The distributed cluster manager 3100 may generate andmaintain configuration data for the low-latency database analysis system3000, such as in one or more tables, identifying the operativeconfiguration of the low-latency database analysis system 3000. Forexample, the distributed cluster manager 3100 may automatically updatethe low-latency database analysis system configuration data in responseto an operative configuration event, such as a change in availability orperformance for a physical or logical unit of the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000. One or more of the component units of low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000 may access the database analysis systemconfiguration data, such as to identify intercommunication parameters orpaths.

The security and governance unit 3200 may describe, implement, enforce,or a combination thereof, rules and procedures for controlling access toaspects of the low-latency database analysis system 3000, such as theinternal data of the low-latency database analysis system 3000 and thefeatures and interfaces of the low-latency database analysis system3000. The security and governance unit 3200 may apply security at anontological level to control or limit access to the internal data of thelow-latency database analysis system 3000, such as to columns, tables,rows, or fields, which may include using row level security.

Although shown as a single unit in FIG. 3, the distributed in-memorydatabase 3300 may be implemented in a distributed configuration, such asdistributed among the servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280 shown in FIG.2, which may include multiple in-memory database instances. Eachin-memory database instance may utilize one or more distinct resources,such as processing or low-latency memory resources, that differ from theresources utilized by the other in-memory database instances. In someembodiments, the in-memory database instances may utilize one or moreshared resources, such as resources utilized by two or more in-memorydatabase instances.

The distributed in-memory database 3300 may generate, maintain, or both,a low-latency data structure and data stored or maintained therein(low-latency data). The low-latency data may include principal data,which may represent enterprise data, such as enterprise data importedfrom an external enterprise data source, such as the external datasource portion 2100 shown in FIG. 2. In some implementations, thedistributed in-memory database 3300 may include system internal datarepresenting one or more aspects, features, or configurations of thelow-latency database analysis system 3000. The distributed in-memorydatabase 3300 and the low-latency data stored therein, or a portionthereof, may be accessed using commands, messages, or signals inaccordance with a defined structured query language associated with thedistributed in-memory database 3300.

The low-latency data, or a portion thereof, may be organized as tablesin the distributed in-memory database 3300. A table may be a datastructure to organize or group the data or a portion thereof, such asrelated or similar data. A table may have a defined structure. Forexample, each table may define or describe a respective set of one ormore columns.

A column may define or describe the characteristics of a discrete aspectof the data in the table. For example, the definition or description ofa column may include an identifier, such as a name, for the columnwithin the table, and one or more constraints, such as a data type, forthe data corresponding to the column in the table. The definition ordescription of a column may include other information, such as adescription of the column. The data in a table may be accessible orpartitionable on a per-column basis. The set of tables, including thecolumn definitions therein, and information describing relationshipsbetween elements, such as tables and columns, of the database may bedefined or described by a database schema or design. The cardinality ofcolumns of a table, and the definition and organization of the columns,may be defined by the database schema or design. Adding, deleting, ormodifying a table, a column, the definition thereof, or a relationshipor constraint thereon, may be a modification of the database design,schema, model, or structure.

The low-latency data, or a portion thereof, may be stored in thedatabase as one or more rows or records in respective tables. Eachrecord or row of a table may include a respective field or cellcorresponding to each column of the table. A field may store a discretedata value. The cardinality of rows of a table, and the values storedtherein, may be variable based on the data. Adding, deleting, ormodifying rows, or the data stored therein may omit modification of thedatabase design, schema, or structure. The data stored in respectivecolumns may be identified or defined as a measure data, attribute data,or enterprise ontology data (e.g., metadata).

Measure data, or measure values, may include quantifiable or additivenumeric values, such as integer or floating-point values, which mayinclude numeric values indicating sizes, amounts, degrees, or the like.A column defined as representing measure values may be referred toherein as a measure or fact. A measure may be a property on whichquantitative operations (e.g., sum, count, average, minimum, maximum)may be performed to calculate or determine a result or output.

Attribute data, or attribute values, may include non-quantifiablevalues, such as text or image data, which may indicate names anddescriptions, quantifiable values designated, defined, or identified asattribute data, such as numeric unit identifiers, or a combinationthereof. A column defined as including attribute values may be referredto herein as an attribute or dimension. For example, attributes mayinclude text, identifiers, timestamps, or the like.

Enterprise ontology data may include data that defines or describes oneor more aspects of the database, such as data that describes one or moreaspects of the attributes, measures, rows, columns, tables,relationships, or other aspects of the data or database schema. Forexample, a portion of the database design, model, or schema may berepresented as enterprise ontology data in one or more tables in thedatabase.

Distinctly identifiable data in the low-latency data may be referred toherein as a data portion. For example, the low-latency data stored inthe distributed in-memory database 3300 may be referred to herein as adata portion, a table from the low-latency data may be referred toherein as a data portion, a column from the low-latency data may bereferred to herein as a data portion, a row or record from thelow-latency data may be referred to herein as a data portion, a valuefrom the low-latency data may be referred to herein as a data portion, arelationship defined in the low-latency data may be referred to hereinas a data portion, enterprise ontology data describing the low-latencydata may be referred to herein as a data portion, or any otherdistinctly identifiable data, or combination thereof, from thelow-latency data may be referred to herein as a data portion.

The distributed in-memory database 3300 may create or add one or moredata portions, such as a table, may read from or access one or more dataportions, may update or modify one or more data portions, may remove ordelete one or more data portions, or a combination thereof. Adding,modifying, or removing data portions may include changes to the datamodel of the low-latency data. Changing the data model of thelow-latency data may include notifying one or more other components ofthe low-latency database analysis system 3000, such as by sending, orotherwise making available, a message or signal indicating the change.For example, the distributed in-memory database 3300 may create or add atable to the low-latency data and may transmit or send a message orsignal indicating the change to the semantic interface unit 3600.

In some implementations, a portion of the low-latency data may representa data model of an external enterprise database and may omit the datastored in the external enterprise database, or a portion thereof. Forexample, prioritized data may be cached in the distributed in-memorydatabase 3300 and the other data may be omitted from storage in thedistributed in-memory database 3300, which may be stored in the externalenterprise database. In some implementations, requesting data from thedistributed in-memory database 3300 may include requesting the data, ora portion thereof, from the external enterprise database.

The distributed in-memory database 3300 may receive one or more messagesor signals indicating respective data-queries for the low-latency data,or a portion thereof, which may include data-queries for modified,generated, or aggregated data generated based on the low-latency data,or a portion thereof. For example, the distributed in-memory database3300 may receive a data-query from the semantic interface unit 3600,such as in accordance with a request for data. The data-queries receivedby the distributed in-memory database 3300 may be agnostic to thedistributed configuration of the distributed in-memory database 3300. Adata-query, or a portion thereof, may be expressed in accordance withthe defined structured query language implemented by the distributedin-memory database 3300. In some implementations, a data-query may beincluded, such as stored or communicated, in a data-query data structureor container.

The distributed in-memory database 3300 may execute or perform one ormore queries to generate or obtain response data responsive to thedata-query based on the low-latency data.

The distributed in-memory database 3300 may interpret, evaluate, orotherwise process a data-query to generate one or moredistributed-queries, which may be expressed in accordance with thedefined structured query language. For example, the distributedin-memory database 3300 may identify an in-memory database instance as aquery coordinator may generate a query plan, which may includegenerating one or more distributed-queries, based on the receiveddata-query. The query plan may include query execution instructions forexecuting the received query by the one or more of the in-memorydatabase instances. The query coordinator may distribute, or otherwisemake available, the respective portions of the query executioninstructions to the corresponding in-memory database instances.

The respective in-memory database instances may receive thecorresponding query execution instructions from the query coordinator.The respective in-memory database instances may execute thecorresponding query execution instructions to obtain, process, or both,data (intermediate results data) from the low-latency data. Therespective in-memory database instances may output, or otherwise makeavailable, the intermediate results data, such as to the querycoordinator.

The query coordinator may execute a respective portion of queryexecution instructions (allocated to the query coordinator) to obtain,process, or both, data (intermediate results data) from the low-latencydata. The query coordinator may receive, or otherwise access, theintermediate results data from the respective in-memory databaseinstances. The query coordinator may combine, aggregate, or otherwiseprocess, the intermediate results data to obtain results data.

In some embodiments, obtaining the intermediate results data by one ormore of the in-memory database instances may include outputting theintermediate results data to, or obtaining intermediate results datafrom, one or more other in-memory database instances, in addition to, orinstead of, obtaining the intermediate results data from the low-latencydata.

The distributed in-memory database 3300 may output, or otherwise makeavailable, the results data to the semantic interface unit 3600.

The enterprise data interface unit 3400 may interface with, orcommunicate with, an external enterprise data system. For example, theenterprise data interface unit 3400 may receive or access enterprisedata from or in an external system, such as an external database. Theenterprise data interface unit 3400 may import, evaluate, or otherwiseprocess the enterprise data to populate, create, or modify data storedin the low-latency database analysis system 3000. The enterprise datainterface unit 3400 may receive, or otherwise access, the enterprisedata from one or more external data sources, such as the external datasource portion 2100 shown in FIG. 2, and may represent the enterprisedata in the low-latency database analysis system 3000 by importing,loading, or populating the enterprise data as principal data in thedistributed in-memory database 3300, such as in one or more low-latencydata structures. The enterprise data interface unit 3400 may implementone or more data connectors, which may transfer data between, forexample, the external data source and the distributed in-memory database3300, which may include altering, formatting, evaluating, ormanipulating the data.

The enterprise data interface unit 3400 may receive, access, or generatemetadata that identifies one or more parameters or relationships for theprincipal data, such as based on the enterprise data, and may includethe generated metadata in the low-latency data stored in the distributedin-memory database 3300. For example, the enterprise data interface unit3400 may identify characteristics of the principal data such as,attributes, measures, values, unique identifiers, tags, links, keys, orthe like, and may include metadata representing the identifiedcharacteristics in the low-latency data stored in the distributedin-memory database 3300. The characteristics of the data can beautomatically determined by receiving, accessing, processing,evaluating, or interpreting the schema in which the enterprise data isstored, which may include automatically identifying links orrelationships between columns, classifying columns (e.g., using columnnames), and analyzing or evaluating the data.

Distinctly identifiable operative data units or structures representingone or more data portions, one or more entities, users, groups, ororganizations represented in the internal data, or one or moreaggregations, collections, relations, analytical results,visualizations, or groupings thereof, may be represented in thelow-latency database analysis system 3000 as objects. An object mayinclude a unique identifier for the object, such as a fully qualifiedname. An object may include a name, such as a displayable value, for theobject.

For example, an object may represent a user, a group, an entity, anorganization, a privilege, a role, a table, a column, a datarelationship, a worksheet, a view, a context, an answer, an insight, apinboard, a tag, a comment, a trigger, a defined variable, a datasource, an object-level security rule, a row-level security rule, or anyother data capable of being distinctly identified and stored orotherwise obtained in the low-latency database analysis system 3000. Anobject may represent or correspond with a logical entity. Datadescribing an object may include data operatively or uniquelyidentifying data corresponding to, or represented by, the object in thelow-latency database analysis system. For example, a column in a tablein a database in the low-latency database analysis system may berepresented in the low-latency database analysis system as an object andthe data describing or defining the object may include data operativelyor uniquely identifying the column.

A worksheet (worksheet object), or worksheet table, may be a logicaltable, or a definition thereof, which may be a collection, a sub-set(such as a subset of columns from one or more tables), or both, of datafrom one or more data sources, such as columns in one or more tables,such as in the distributed in-memory database 3300. A worksheet, or adefinition thereof, may include one or more data organization ormanipulation definitions, such as join paths or worksheet-columndefinitions, which may be user defined. A worksheet may be a datastructure that may contain one or more rules or definitions that maydefine or describe how a respective tabular set of data may be obtained,which may include defining one or more sources of data, such as one ormore columns from the distributed in-memory database 3300. A worksheetmay be a data source. For example, a worksheet may include references toone or more data sources, such as columns in one or more tables, such asin the distributed in-memory database 3300, and a request for datareferencing the worksheet may access the data from the data sourcesreferenced in the worksheet. In some implementations, a worksheet mayomit aggregations of the data from the data sources referenced in theworksheet.

An answer (answer object), or report, may be a defined, such aspreviously generated, request for data, such as a resolved-request. Ananswer may include information describing a visualization of dataresponsive to the request for data.

A view (view object) may be a logical table, or a definition thereof,which may be a collection, a sub-set, or both, of data from one or moredata sources, such as columns in one or more tables, such as in thedistributed in-memory database 3300. For example, a view may begenerated based on an answer, such as by storing the answer as a view. Aview may define or describe a data aggregation. A view may be a datasource. For example, a view may include references to one or more datasources, such as columns in one or more tables, such as in thedistributed in-memory database 3300, which may include a definition ordescription of an aggregation of the data from a respective data source,and a request for data referencing the view may access the aggregateddata, the data from the unaggregated data sources referenced in theworksheet, or a combination thereof. The unaggregated data from datasources referenced in the view defined or described as aggregated datain the view may be unavailable based on the view. A view may be amaterialized view or an unmaterialized view. A request for datareferencing a materialized view may obtain data from a set of datapreviously obtained (view-materialization) in accordance with thedefinition of the view and the request for data. A request for datareferencing an unmaterialized view may obtain data from a set of datacurrently obtained in accordance with the definition of the view and therequest for data.

A pinboard (pinboard object), or dashboard, may be a defined collectionor grouping of objects, such as visualizations, answers, or insights.Pinboard data for a pinboard may include information associated with thepinboard, which may be associated with respective objects included inthe pinboard.

A context (context object) may be a set or collection of data associatedwith a request for data or a discretely related sequence or series ofrequests for data or other interactions with the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000.

A definition may be a set of data describing the structure ororganization of a data portion. For example, in the distributedin-memory database 3300, a column definition may define one or moreaspects of a column in a table, such as a name of the column, adescription of the column, a datatype for the column, or any otherinformation about the column that may be represented as discrete data.

A data source object may represent a source or repository of dataaccessible by the low-latency database analysis system 3000. A datasource object may include data indicating an electronic communicationlocation, such as an address, of a data source, connection information,such as protocol information, authentication information, or acombination thereof, or any other information about the data source thatmay be represented as discrete data. For example, a data source objectmay represent a table in the distributed in-memory database 3300 andinclude data for accessing the table from the database, such asinformation identifying the database, information identifying a schemawithin the database, and information identifying the table within theschema within the database. An external data source object may representan external data source. For example, an external data source object mayinclude data indicating an electronic communication location, such as anaddress, of an external data source, connection information, such asprotocol information, authentication information, or a combinationthereof, or any other information about the external data source thatmay be represented as discrete data.

A sticker (sticker object) may be a description of a classification,category, tag, subject area, or other information that may be associatedwith one or more other objects such that objects associated with asticker may be grouped, sorted, filtered, or otherwise identified basedon the sticker. In the distributed in-memory database 3300 a tag may bea discrete data portion that may be associated with other data portions,such that data portions associated with a tag may be grouped, sorted,filtered, or otherwise identified based on the tag.

The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 generates, maintains, orboth, information (ontological data) defining or describing theoperative ontological structure of the objects represented in thelow-latency database analysis system 3000, such as in the low-latencydata stored in the distributed in-memory database 3300, which mayinclude describing attributes, properties, states, or other informationabout respective objects and may include describing relationships amongrespective objects.

Objects may be referred to herein as primary objects, secondary objects,or tertiary objects. Other types of objects may be used.

Primary objects may include objects representing distinctly identifiableoperative data units or structures representing one or more dataportions in the distributed in-memory database 3300, or another datasource in the low-latency database analysis system 3000. For example,primary objects may be data source objects, table objects, columnobjects, relationship objects, or the like. Primary objects may includeworksheets, views, filters, such as row-level-security filters and tablefilters, variables, or the like. Primary objects may be referred toherein as data-objects or queryable-objects.

Secondary objects may be objects representing distinctly identifiableoperative data units or structures representing analytical dataaggregations, collections, analytical results, visualizations, orgroupings thereof, such as pinboard objects, answer objects, insights,visualization objects, and the like. Secondary objects may be referredto herein as analytical-objects.

Tertiary objects may be objects representing distinctly identifiableoperative data units or structures representing operational aspects ofthe low-latency database analysis system 3000, such as one or moreentities, users, groups, or organizations represented in the internaldata, such as user objects, user-group objects, role objects, stickerobjects, and the like.

The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may represent theontological structure, which may include the objects therein, as a graphhaving nodes and edges. A node may be a representation of an object inthe graph structure of the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500. Anode object can include one or more component objects. Component objectsmay be versioned, such as on a per-component object basis. For example,a node can include a header object, a content object, or both. A headerobject may include information about the node. A content may include thecontent of the node. An edge may represent a relationship between nodes,which may be directional.

In some implementations, the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500graph may include one or more nodes, edges, or both, representing one ormore objects, relationships or both, corresponding to a respectiveinternal representation of enterprise data stored in an externalenterprise data storage unit, wherein a portion of the data stored inthe external enterprise data storage unit represented in the distributedin-memory ontology unit 3500 graph is omitted from the distributedin-memory database 3300.

In some embodiments, the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 maygenerate, modify, or remove a portion of the ontology graph in responseto one or more messages, signals, or notifications from one or more ofthe components of the low-latency database analysis system 3000. Forexample, the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may generate,modify, or remove a portion of the ontology graph in response toreceiving one or more messages, signals, or notifications from thedistributed in-memory database 3300 indicating a change to thelow-latency data structure. In another example, the distributedin-memory database 3300 may send one or more messages, signals, ornotifications indicating a change to the low-latency data structure tothe semantic interface unit 3600 and the semantic interface unit 3600may send one or more messages, signals, or notifications indicating thechange to the low-latency data structure to the distributed in-memoryontology unit 3500.

The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may be distributed,in-memory, multi-versioned, transactional, consistent, durable, or acombination thereof. The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 istransactional, which may include implementing atomic concurrent, orsubstantially concurrent, updating of multiple objects. The distributedin-memory ontology unit 3500 is durable, which may include implementinga robust storage that prevents data loss subsequent to or as a result ofthe completion of an atomic operation. The distributed in-memoryontology unit 3500 is consistent, which may include performingoperations associated with a request for data with reference to or usinga discrete data set, which may mitigate or eliminate the riskinconsistent results.

The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may generate, output, orboth, one or more event notifications. For example, the distributedin-memory ontology unit 3500 may generate, output, or both, anotification, or notifications, in response to a change of thedistributed in-memory ontology. The distributed in-memory ontology unit3500 may identify a portion of the distributed in-memory ontology(graph) associated with a change of the distributed in-memory ontology,such as one or more nodes depending from a changed node, and maygenerate, output, or both, a notification, or notifications indicatingthe identified relevant portion of the distributed in-memory ontology(graph). One or more aspects of the low-latency database analysis system3000 may cache object data and may receive the notifications from thedistributed in-memory ontology unit 3500, which may reduce latency andnetwork traffic relative to systems that omit caching object data oromit notifications relevant to changes to portions of the distributedin-memory ontology (graph).

The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may implement prefetching.For example, the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 maypredictively, such as based on determined probabilistic utility, fetchone or more nodes, such as in response to access to a related node by acomponent of the low-latency database analysis system 3000.

The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may implement amulti-version concurrency control graph data storage unit. Each node,object, or both, may be versioned. Changes to the distributed in-memoryontology may be reversible. For example, the distributed in-memoryontology may have a first state prior to a change to the distributedin-memory ontology, the distributed in-memory ontology may have a secondstate subsequent to the change, and the state of the distributedin-memory ontology may be reverted to the first state subsequent to thechange, such as in response to the identification of an error or failureassociated with the second state.

In some implementations, reverting a node, or a set of nodes, may omitreverting one or more other nodes. In some implementations, thedistributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may maintain a change logindicating a sequential record of changes to the distributed in-memoryontology (graph), such that a change to a node or a set of nodes may bereverted and one or more other changes subsequent to the reverted changemay be reverted for consistency.

The distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 may implement optimisticlocking to reduce lock contention times. The use of optimistic lockingpermits improved throughput of data through the distributed in-memoryontology unit 3500.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may implement procedures and functionsto provide a semantic interface between the distributed in-memorydatabase 3300 and one or more of the other components of the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may implement ontological datamanagement, data-query generation, authentication and access control,object statistical data collection, or a combination thereof.

Ontological data management may include object lifecycle management,object data persistence, ontological modifications, or the like. Objectlifecycle management may include creating one or more objects, readingor otherwise accessing one or more objects, updating or modifying one ormore objects, deleting or removing one or more objects, or a combinationthereof. For example, the semantic interface unit 3600 may interface orcommunicate with the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500, which maystore the ontological data, object data, or both, to perform objectlifecycle management, object data persistence, ontologicalmodifications, or the like.

For example, the semantic interface unit 3600 may receive, or otherwiseaccess, a message, signal, or notification, such as from the distributedin-memory database 3300, indicating the creation or addition of a dataportion, such as a table, in the low-latency data stored in thedistributed in-memory database 3300, and the semantic interface unit3600 may communicate with the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500to create an object in the ontology representing the added data portion.The semantic interface unit 3600 may transmit, send, or otherwise makeavailable, a notification, message, or signal to the relational searchunit 3700 indicating that the ontology has changed.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may receive, or otherwise access, arequest message or signal, such as from the relational search unit 3700,indicating a request for information describing changes to the ontology(ontological updates request). The semantic interface unit 3600 maygenerate and send, or otherwise make available, a response message orsignal to the relational search unit 3700 indicating the changes to theontology (ontological updates response). The semantic interface unit3600 may identify one or more data portions for indexing based on thechanges to the ontology. For example, the changes to the ontology mayinclude adding a table to the ontology, the table including multiplerows, and the semantic interface unit 3600 may identify each row as adata portion for indexing. The semantic interface unit 3600 may includeinformation describing the ontological changes in the ontologicalupdates response. The semantic interface unit 3600 may include one ormore data-query definitions, such as data-query definitions for indexingdata-queries, for each data portion identified for indexing in theontological updates response. For example, the data-query definitionsmay include a sampling data-query, which may be used to query thedistributed in-memory database 3300 for sample data from the added dataportion, an indexing data-query, which may be used to query thedistributed in-memory database 3300 for data from the added dataportion, or both.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may receive, or otherwise access,internal signals or messages including data expressing a usage intent,such as data indicating requests to access or modify the low-latencydata stored in the distributed in-memory database 3300 (e.g., a requestfor data). The request to access or modify the low-latency data receivedby the semantic interface unit 3600 may include a resolved-request. Theresolved-request, which may be database and visualization agnostic, maybe expressed or communicated as an ordered sequence of tokens, which mayrepresent semantic data. For example, the relational search unit 3700may tokenize, identify semantics, or both, based on input data, such asinput data representing user input, to generate the resolved-request.The resolved-request may include an ordered sequence of tokens thatrepresent the request for data corresponding to the input data, and maytransmit, send, or otherwise make accessible, the resolved-request tothe semantic interface unit 3600. The semantic interface unit 3600 mayprocess or respond to a received resolved-request.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may process or transform the receivedresolved-request, which may be, at least in part, incompatible with thedistributed in-memory database 3300, to generate one or morecorresponding data-queries that are compatible with the distributedin-memory database 3300, which may include generating a proto-queryrepresenting the resolved-request, generating a pseudo-queryrepresenting the proto-query, and generating the data-query representingthe pseudo-query.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may generate a proto-query based on theresolved-request. A proto-query, which may be database agnostic, may bestructured or formatted in a form, language, or protocol that differsfrom the defined structured query language of the distributed in-memorydatabase 3300. Generating the proto-query may include identifyingvisualization identification data, such as an indication of a type ofvisualization, associated with the request for data, and generating theproto-query based on the resolved-request and the visualizationidentification data.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may transform the proto-query togenerate a pseudo-query. The pseudo-query, which may be databaseagnostic, may be structured or formatted in a form, language, orprotocol that differs from the defined structured query language of thedistributed in-memory database 3300. Generating a pseudo-query mayinclude applying a defined transformation, or an ordered sequence oftransformations. Generating a pseudo-query may include incorporatingrow-level security filters in the pseudo-query.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may generate a data-query based on thepseudo-query, such as by serializing the pseudo-query. The data-query,or a portion thereof, may be structured or formatted using the definedstructured query language of the distributed in-memory database 3300. Insome implementations, a data-query may be structured or formatted usinga defined structured query language of another database, which maydiffer from the defined structured query language of the distributedin-memory database 3300. Generating the data-query may include using oneor more defined rules for expressing respective the structure andcontent of a pseudo-query in the respective defined structured querylanguage.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may communicate, or issue, thedata-query to the distributed in-memory database 3300. In someimplementations, processing or responding to a resolved-request mayinclude generating and issuing multiple data-query to the distributedin-memory database 3300.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may receive results data from thedistributed in-memory database 3300 responsive to one or moreresolved-requests. The semantic interface unit 3600 may process, format,or transform the results data to obtain visualization data. For example,the semantic interface unit 3600 may identify a visualization forrepresenting or presenting the results data, or a portion thereof, suchas based on the results data or a portion thereof. For example, thesemantic interface unit 3600 may identifying a bar chart visualizationfor results data including one measure and attribute.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 3, the semantic interface unit3600 may include a data visualization unit. In some embodiments, thedata visualization unit may be a distinct unit, separate from thesemantic interface unit 3600. In some embodiments, the datavisualization unit may be included in the system access interface unit3900. The data visualization unit, the system access interface unit3900, or a combination thereof, may generate a user interface, or one ormore portions thereof. For example, data visualization unit, the systemaccess interface unit 3900, or a combination thereof, may obtain theresults data, such as the visualization data, and may generate userinterface elements (visualizations) representing the results data.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may implement object-level security,row-level security, or a combination thereof. Object level security mayinclude security associated with an object, such as a table, a column, aworksheet, an answer, or a pinboard. Row-level security may includeuser-based or group-based access control of rows of data in thelow-latency data, the indexes, or both. The semantic interface unit 3600may implement on or more authentication procedures, access controlprocedures, or a combination thereof.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may implement one or more user-dataintegration features. For example, the semantic interface unit 3600 maygenerate and output a user interface, or a portion thereof, forinputting, uploading, or importing user data, may receive user data, andmay import the user data. For example, the user data may be enterprisedata.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may implement object statistical datacollection. Object statistical data may include, for respective objects,temporal access information, access frequency information, accessrecency information, access requester information, or the like. Forexample, the semantic interface unit 3600 may obtain object statisticaldata as described with respect to the data utility unit 3720, the objectutility unit 3810, or both. The semantic interface unit 3600 may send,transmit, or otherwise make available, the object statistical data fordata-objects to the data utility unit 3720. The semantic interface unit3600 may send, transmit, or otherwise make available, the objectstatistical data for analytical-objects to the object utility unit 3810.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may implement or expose one or moreservices or application programming interfaces. For example, thesemantic interface unit 3600 may implement one or more services foraccess by the system access interface unit 3900. In someimplementations, one or more services or application programminginterfaces may be exposed to one or more external devices or systems.

The semantic interface unit 3600 may generate and transmit, send, orotherwise communicate, one or more external communications, such ase-mail messages, such as periodically, in response to one or moreevents, or both. For example, the semantic interface unit 3600 maygenerate and transmit, send, or otherwise communicate, one or moreexternal communications including a portable representation, such as aportable document format representation of one or more pinboards inaccordance with a defined schedule, period, or interval. In anotherexample, the semantic interface unit 3600 may generate and transmit,send, or otherwise communicate, one or more external communications inresponse to input data indicating an express request for acommunication. In another example, the semantic interface unit 3600 maygenerate and transmit, send, or otherwise communicate, one or moreexternal communications in response to one or more defined events, suchas the expiration of a recency of access period for a user.

Although shown as a single unit in FIG. 3, the relational search unit3700 may be implemented in a distributed configuration, which mayinclude a primary relational search unit instance and one or moresecondary relational search unit instances.

The relational search unit 3700 may generate, maintain, operate, or acombination thereof, one or more indexes, such as one or more of anontological index, a constituent data index, a control-word index, anumeral index, or a constant index, based on the low-latency data storedin the distributed in-memory database 3300, the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000, or both. An index may be a defined data structure,or combination of data structures, for storing tokens, terms, or stringkeys, representing a set of data from one or more defined data sourcesin a form optimized for searching. For example, an index may be acollection of index shards. In some implementations, an index may besegmented into index segments and the index segments may be sharded intoindex shards. In some implementations, an index may be partitioned intoindex partitions, the index partitions may be segmented into indexsegments and the index segments may be sharded into index shards.

Generating, or building, an index may be performed to create or populatea previously unavailable index, which may be referred to as indexing thecorresponding data, and may include regenerating, rebuilding, orreindexing to update or modify a previously available index, such as inresponse to a change in the indexed data (constituent data).

The ontological index may be an index of data (ontological data)describing the ontological structure or schema of the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000, the low-latency data stored in thedistributed in-memory database 3300, or a combination thereof. Forexample, the ontological index may include data representing the tableand column structure of the distributed in-memory database 3300. Therelational search unit 3700 may generate, maintain, or both, theontological index by communicating with, such as requesting ontologicaldata from, the distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500, the semanticinterface unit 3600, or both. Each record in the ontological index maycorrespond to a respective ontological token, such as a token thatidentifies a column by name.

The control-word index may be an index of a defined set of control-wordtokens. A control-word token may be a character, a symbol, a word, or adefined ordered sequence of characters or symbols, that is identified inone or more grammars of the low-latency database analysis system 3000 ashaving one or more defined grammatical functions, which may becontextual. For example, the control-word index may include thecontrol-word token “sum”, which may be identified in one or moregrammars of the low-latency database analysis system 3000 as indicatingan additive aggregation. In another example, the control-word index mayinclude the control-word token “top”, which may be identified in one ormore grammars of the low-latency database analysis system 3000 asindicating a maximal value from an ordered set. In another example, thecontrol-word index may include operator tokens, such as the equalityoperator token (“=”). The constant index may be an index of constanttokens such as “100” or “true”. The numeral index may be an index ofnumber word tokens (or named numbers), such as number word tokens forthe positive integers between zero and one million, inclusive. Forexample, “one hundred and twenty eight”.

A token may be a word, phrase, character, sequence of characters,symbol, combination of symbols, or the like. A token may represent adata portion in the low-latency data stored in the low-latency datastructure. For example, the relational search unit 3700 mayautomatically generate respective tokens representing the attributes,the measures, the tables, the columns, the values, unique identifiers,tags, links, keys, or any other data portion, or combination of dataportions, or a portion thereof. The relational search unit 3700 mayclassify the tokens, which may include storing token classification datain association with the tokens. For example, a token may be classifiedas an attribute token, a measure token, a value token, or the like.

The constituent data index may be an index of the constituent datavalues stored in the low-latency database analysis system 3000, such asin the distributed in-memory database 3300. The relational search unit3700 may generate, maintain, or both, the constituent data index bycommunicating with, such as requesting data from, the distributedin-memory database 3300. For example, the relational search unit 3700may send, or otherwise communicate, a message or signal to thedistributed in-memory database 3300 indicating a request to perform anindexing data-query, the relational search unit 3700 may receiveresponse data from the distributed in-memory database 3300 in responseto the requested indexing data-query, and the relational search unit3700 may generate the constituent data index, or a portion thereof,based on the response data. For example, the constituent data index mayindex data-objects.

An index shard may be used for token searching, such as exact matchsearching, prefix match searching, substring match searching, or suffixmatch searching. Exact match searching may include identifying tokens inthe index shard that matches a defined target value. Prefix matchsearching may include identifying tokens in the index shard that includea prefix, or begin with a value, such as a character or string, thatmatches a defined target value. Substring match searching may includeidentifying tokens in the index shard that include a value, such as acharacter or string, that matches a defined target value. Suffix matchsearching may include identifying tokens in the index shard that includea suffix, or end with a value, such as a character or string, thatmatches a defined target value. In some implementations, an index shardmay include multiple distinct index data structures. For example, anindex shard may include a first index data structure optimized for exactmatch searching, prefix match searching, and suffix match searching, anda second index data structure optimized for substring match searching.Traversing, or otherwise accessing, managing, or using, an index mayinclude identifying one or more of the index shards of the index andtraversing the respective index shards. In some implementations, one ormore indexes, or index shards, may be distributed, such as replicated onmultiple relational search unit instances. For example, the ontologicalindex may be replicated on each relational search unit instance.

The relational search unit 3700 may receive a request for data from thelow-latency database analysis system 3000. For example, the relationalsearch unit 3700 may receive data expressing a usage intent indicatingthe request for data in response to input, such as user input, obtainedvia a user interface, such as a user interface generated, or partiallygenerated, by the system access interface unit 3900, which may be a userinterface operated on an external device, such as one of the clientdevices 2320, 2340 shown in FIG. 2. In some implementations, therelational search unit 3700 may receive the data expressing the usageintent from the system access interface unit 3900 or from the semanticinterface unit 3600. For example, the relational search unit 3700 mayreceive or access the data expressing the usage intent in a request fordata message or signal.

The relational search unit 3700 may process, parse, identify semantics,tokenize, or a combination thereof, the request for data to generate aresolved-request, which may include identifying a database andvisualization agnostic ordered sequence of tokens based on the dataexpressing the usage intent. The data expressing the usage intent, orrequest for data, may include request data, such as resolved requestdata, unresolved request data, or a combination of resolved request dataand unresolved request data. The relational search unit 3700 mayidentify the resolved request data. The relational search unit 3700 mayidentify the unresolved request data and may tokenize the unresolvedrequest data.

Resolved request data may be request data identified in the dataexpressing the usage intent as resolved request data. Each resolvedrequest data portion may correspond with a respective token in thelow-latency database analysis system 3000. The data expressing the usageintent may include information identifying one or more portions of therequest data as resolved request data.

Unresolved request data may be request data identified in the dataexpressing the usage intent as unresolved request data, or request datafor which the data expressing the usage intent omits informationidentifying the request data a resolved request data. Unresolved requestdata may include text or string data, which may include a character,sequence of characters, symbol, combination of symbols, word, sequenceof words, phrase, or the like, for which information, such astokenization binding data, identifying the text or string data asresolved request data is absent or omitted from the request data. Thedata expressing the usage intent may include information identifying oneor more portions of the request data as unresolved request data. Thedata expressing the usage intent may omit information identifyingwhether one or more portions of the request data are resolved requestdata. The relational search unit 3700 may identify one or more portionsof the request data for which the data expressing the usage intent omitsinformation identifying whether the one or more portions of the requestdata are resolved request data as unresolved request data.

For example, the data expressing the usage intent may include a requeststring and one or more indications that one or more portions of therequest string are resolved request data. One or more portions of therequest string that are not identified as resolved request data in thedata expressing the usage intent may be identified as unresolved requestdata. For example, the data expressing the usage intent may include therequest string “example text”; the data expressing the usage intent mayinclude information indicating that the first portion of the requeststring, “example”, is resolved request data; and the data expressing theusage intent may omit information indicating that the second portion ofthe request string, “text”, is resolved request data.

The information identifying one or more portions of the request data asresolved request data may include tokenization binding data indicating apreviously identified token corresponding to the respective portion ofthe request data. The tokenization binding data corresponding to arespective token may include, for example, one or more of a columnidentifier indicating a column corresponding to the respective token, adata type identifier corresponding to the respective token, a tableidentifier indicating a table corresponding to the respective token, anindication of an aggregation corresponding to the respective token, oran indication of a join path associated with the respective token. Othertokenization binding data may be used. In some implementations, the dataexpressing the usage intent may omit the tokenization binding data andmay include an identifier that identifies the tokenization binding data.

The relational search unit 3700 may implement or access one or moregrammar-specific tokenizers, such as a tokenizer for a definedrelational search grammar or a tokenizer for a natural-language grammar.For example, the relational search unit 3700 may implement one or moreof a formula tokenizer, a row-level-security tokenizer, a relationalsearch tokenizer, or a natural language tokenizer. Other tokenizers maybe used. In some implementations, the relational search unit 3700 mayimplement one or more of the grammar-specific tokenizers, or a portionthereof, by accessing another component of the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000 that implements the respective grammar-specifictokenizer, or a portion thereof. For example, the natural languageprocessing unit 3710 may implement the natural language tokenizer andthe relational search unit 3700 may access the natural languageprocessing unit 3710 to implement natural language tokenization.

A tokenizer, such as the relational search tokenizer, may parse text orstring data (request string), such as string data included in a dataexpressing the usage intent, in a defined read order, such as from leftto right, such as on a character-by-character or symbol-by-symbol basis.For example, a request string may include a single character, symbol, orletter, and tokenization may include identifying one or more tokensmatching, or partially matching, the input character.

Tokenization may include parsing the request string to identify one ormore words or phrases. For example, the request string may include asequence of characters, symbols, or letters, and tokenization mayinclude parsing the sequence of characters in a defined order, such asfrom left to right, to identify distinct words or terms and identifyingone or more tokens matching the respective words. In someimplementations, word or phrase parsing may be based on one or more of aset of defined delimiters, such as a whitespace character, a punctuationcharacter, or a mathematical operator.

The relational search unit 3700 may traverse one or more of the indexesto identify one or more tokens corresponding to a character, word, orphrase identified in request string. Tokenization may includeidentifying multiple candidate tokens matching a character, word, orphrase identified in request string. Candidate tokens may be ranked orordered, such as based on probabilistic utility.

Tokenization may include match-length maximization. Match-lengthmaximization may include ranking or ordering candidate matching tokensin descending magnitude order. For example, the longest candidate token,having the largest cardinality of characters or symbols, matching therequest string, or a portion thereof, may be the highest rankedcandidate token. For example, the request string may include a sequenceof words or a semantic phrase, and tokenization may include identifyingone or more tokens matching the input semantic phrase. In anotherexample, the request string may include a sequence of phrases, andtokenization may include identifying one or more tokens matching theinput word sequence. In some implementations, tokenization may includeidentifying the highest ranked candidate token for a portion of therequest string as a resolved token for the portion of the requeststring.

The relational search unit 3700 may implement one or more finite statemachines. For example, tokenization may include using one or more finitestate machines. A finite state machine may model or represent a definedset of states and a defined set of transitions between the states. Astate may represent a condition of the system represented by the finitestate machine at a defined temporal point. A finite state machine maytransition from a state (current state) to a subsequent state inresponse to input (e.g., input to the finite state machine). Atransition may define one or more actions or operations that therelational search unit 3700 may implement. One or more of the finitestate machines may be non-deterministic, such that the finite statemachine may transition from a state to zero or more subsequent states.

The relational search unit 3700 may generate, instantiate, or operate atokenization finite state machine, which may represent the respectivetokenization grammar. Generating, instantiating, or operating a finitestate machine may include operating a finite state machine traverser fortraversing the finite state machine. Instantiating the tokenizationfinite state machine may include entering an empty state, indicating theabsence of received input. The relational search unit 3700 may initiateor execute an operation, such as an entry operation, corresponding tothe empty state in response to entering the empty state. Subsequently,the relational search unit 3700 may receive input data, and thetokenization finite state machine may transition from the empty state toa state corresponding to the received input data. In some embodiments,the relational search unit 3700 may initiate one or more data-queries inresponse to transitioning to or from a respective state of a finitestate machine. In the tokenization finite state machine, a state mayrepresent a possible next token in the request string. The tokenizationfinite state machine may transition between states based on one or moredefined transition weights, which may indicate a probability oftransiting from a state to a subsequent state.

The tokenization finite state machine may determine tokenization basedon probabilistic path utility. Probabilistic path utility may rank ororder multiple candidate traversal paths for traversing the tokenizationfinite state machine based on the request string. The candidate pathsmay be ranked or ordered based on one or more defined probabilistic pathutility metrics, which may be evaluated in a defined sequence. Forexample, the tokenization finite state machine may determineprobabilistic path utility by evaluating the weights of the respectivecandidate transition paths, the lengths of the respective candidatetransition paths, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, theweights of the respective candidate transition paths may be evaluatedwith high priority relative to the lengths of the respective candidatetransition paths.

In some implementations, one or more transition paths evaluated by thetokenization finite state machine may include a bound state such thatthe candidate tokens available for tokenization of a portion of therequest string may be limited based on the tokenization of a previouslytokenized portion of the request string.

Tokenization may include matching a portion of the request string to oneor more token types, such as a constant token type, a column name tokentype, a value token type, a control-word token type, a date value tokentype, a string value token type, or any other token type defined by thelow-latency database analysis system 3000. A constant token type may bea fixed, or invariant, token type, such as a numeric value. A columnname token type may correspond with a name of a column in the datamodel. A value token type may correspond with an indexed data value. Acontrol-word token type may correspond with a defined set ofcontrol-words. A date value token type may be similar to a control-wordtoken type and may correspond with a defined set of control-words fordescribing temporal information. A string value token type maycorrespond with an unindexed value.

Token matching may include ordering or weighting candidate token matchesbased on one or more token matching metrics. Token matching metrics mayinclude whether a candidate match is within a defined data scope, suchas a defined set of tables, wherein a candidate match outside thedefined data scope (out-of-scope) may be ordered or weighted lower thana candidate match within the define data scope (in-scope). Tokenmatching metrics may include whether, or the degree to which, acandidate match increases query complexity, such as by spanning multipleroots, wherein a candidate match that increases complexity may beordered or weighted lower than a candidate match that does not increasecomplexity or increases complexity to a lesser extent. Token matchingmetrics may include whether the candidate match is an exact match or apartial match, wherein a candidate match that is a partial may beordered or weighted lower than a candidate match that is an exact match.In some implementations, the cardinality of the set of partial matchesmay be limited to a defined value.

Token matching metrics may include a token score (TokenScore), wherein acandidate match with a relatively low token score may be ordered orweighted lower than a candidate match with a relatively high tokenscore. The token score for a candidate match may be determined based oneor more token scoring metrics. The token scoring metrics may include afinite state machine transition weight metric (FSMScore), wherein aweight of transitioning from a current state of the tokenization finitestate machine to a state indicating a candidate matching token is thefinite state machine transition weight metric. The token scoring metricsmay include a cardinality penalty metric (CardinalityScore), wherein acardinality of values (e.g., unique values) corresponding to thecandidate matching token is used as a penalty metric (inversecardinality), which may reduce the token score. The token scoringmetrics may include an index utility metric (IndexScore), wherein adefined utility value, such as one, associated with an object, such as acolumn wherein the matching token represents the column or a value fromthe column, is the index utility metric. In some implementations, thedefined utility values may be configured, such as in response to userinput, on a per object (e.g., per column) basis. The token scoringmetrics may include a usage metric (UBRScore). The usage metric may bedetermined based on a usage based ranking index, one or more usageranking metrics, or a combination thereof. Determining the usage metric(UBRScore) may include determining a usage boost value (UBRBoost). Thetoken score may be determined based on a defined combination of tokenscoring metrics. For example, determining the token score may beexpressed as the following:

TokenScore=FSMScore*(IndexScore+UBRScore*UBRBoost)+Min(CardinalityScore,1).

Token matching may include grouping candidate token matches by matchtype, ranking or ordering on a per-match type basis based on tokenscore, and ranking or ordering the match types. For example, the matchtypes may include a first match type for exact matches (having thehighest match type priority order), a second match type for prefixmatches on ontological data (having a match type priority order lowerthan the first match type), a third match type for substring matches onontological data and prefix matches on data values (having a match typepriority order lower than the second match type), a fourth match typefor substring matches on data values (having a match type priority orderlower than the third match type), and a fifth match type for matchesomitted from the first through fourth match types (having a match typepriority order lower than the fourth match type). Other match types andmatch type orders may be used.

Tokenization may include ambiguity resolution. Ambiguity resolution mayinclude token ambiguity resolution, join-path ambiguity resolution, orboth. In some implementations, ambiguity resolution may ceasetokenization in response to the identification of an automatic ambiguityresolution error or failure.

Token ambiguity may correspond with identifying two or more exactlymatching candidate matching tokens. Token ambiguity resolution may bebased on one or more token ambiguity resolution metrics. The tokenambiguity resolution metrics may include using available previouslyresolved token matching or binding data and token ambiguity may beresolved in favor of available previously resolved token matching orbinding data, other relevant tokens resolved from the request string, orboth. The token ambiguity resolution may include resolving tokenambiguity in favor of integer constants. The token ambiguity resolutionmay include resolving token ambiguity in favor of control-words, such asfor tokens at the end of a request for data, such as last, that are notbeing edited.

Join-path ambiguity may correspond with identifying matching tokenshaving two or more candidate join paths. Join-path ambiguity resolutionmay be based on one or more join-path ambiguity resolution metrics. Thejoin-path ambiguity resolution metrics may include using availablepreviously resolved join-path binding data and join-path ambiguity maybe resolved in favor of available previously resolved join-paths. Thejoin-path ambiguity resolution may include favoring join paths thatinclude in-scope objects over join paths that include out-of-scopeobjects. The join-path ambiguity resolution metrics may include acomplexity minimization metric, which may favor a join path that omitsor avoids increasing complexity over join paths that increasecomplexity, such as a join path that may introduce a chasm trap.

The relational search unit 3700 may identify a resolved-request based onthe request string. The resolved-request, which may be database andvisualization agnostic, may be expressed or communicated as an orderedsequence of tokens representing the request for data indicated by therequest string. The relational search unit 3700 may instantiate, orgenerate, one or more resolved-request objects. For example, therelational search unit 3700 may create or store a resolved-requestobject corresponding to the resolved-request in the distributedin-memory ontology unit 3500. The relational search unit 3700 maytransmit, send, or otherwise make available, the resolved-request to thesemantic interface unit 3600.

In some implementations, the relational search unit 3700 may transmit,send, or otherwise make available, one or more resolved-requests, orportions thereof, to the semantic interface unit 3600 in response tofinite state machine transitions. For example, the relational searchunit 3700 may instantiate a search object in response to a firsttransition of a finite state machine. The relational search unit 3700may include a first search object instruction in the search object inresponse to a second transition of the finite state machine. Therelational search unit 3700 may send the search object including thefirst search object instruction to the semantic interface unit 3600 inresponse to the second transition of the finite state machine. Therelational search unit 3700 may include a second search objectinstruction in the search object in response to a third transition ofthe finite state machine. The relational search unit 3700 may send thesearch object including the search object instruction, or a combinationof the first search object instruction and the second search objectinstruction, to the semantic interface unit 3600 in response to thethird transition of the finite state machine. The search objectinstructions may be represented using any annotation, instruction, text,message, list, pseudo-code, comment, or the like, or any combinationthereof that may be converted, transcoded, or translated into structuredsearch instructions for retrieving data from the low-latency data.

The relational search unit 3700 may provide an interface to permit thecreation of user-defined syntax. For example, a user may associate astring with one or more tokens. Accordingly, when the string is entered,the pre-associated tokens are returned in lieu of searching for tokensto match the input.

The relational search unit 3700 may include a localization unit (notexpressly shown). The localization, globalization, regionalization, orinternationalization, unit may obtain source data expressed inaccordance with a source expressive-form and may output destination datarepresenting the source data, or a portion thereof, and expressed usinga destination expressive-form. The data expressive-forms, such as thesource expressive-form and the destination expressive-form, may includeregional or customary forms of expression, such as numeric expression,temporal expression, currency expression, alphabets, natural-languageelements, measurements, or the like. For example, the sourceexpressive-form may be expressed using a canonical-form, which mayinclude using a natural-language, which may be based on English, and thedestination expressive-form may be expressed using a locale-specificform, which may include using another natural-language, which may be anatural-language that differs from the canonical-language. In anotherexample, the destination expressive-form and the source expressive-formmay be locale-specific expressive-forms and outputting the destinationexpressive-form representation of the source expressive-form data mayinclude obtaining a canonical-form representation of the sourceexpressive-form data and obtaining the destination expressive-formrepresentation based on the canonical-form representation. Although, forsimplicity and clarity, the grammars described herein, such as therelational search grammar and the natural language search grammar, aredescribed with relation to the canonical expressive-form, theimplementation of the respective grammars, or portions thereof,described herein may implement locale-specific expressive-forms. Forexample, the relational search tokenizer may include multiplelocale-specific relational search tokenizers.

The natural language processing unit 3710 may receive input dataincluding a natural language string, such as a natural language stringgenerated in accordance with user input. The natural language string mayrepresent a data request expressed in an unrestricted natural languageform, for which data identified or obtained prior to, or in conjunctionwith, receiving the natural language string by the natural languageprocessing unit 3710 indicating the semantic structure, correlation tothe low-latency database analysis system 3000, or both, for at least aportion of the natural language string is unavailable or incomplete.Although not shown separately in FIG. 3, in some implementations, thenatural language string may be generated or determined based onprocessing an analog signal, or a digital representation thereof, suchas an audio stream or recording or a video stream or recording, whichmay include using speech-to-text conversion.

The natural language processing unit 3710 may analyze, process, orevaluate the natural language string, or a portion thereof, to generateor determine the semantic structure, correlation to the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000, or both, for at least a portion of thenatural language string. For example, the natural language processingunit 3710 may identify one or more words or terms in the naturallanguage string and may correlate the identified words to tokens definedin the low-latency database analysis system 3000. In another example,the natural language processing unit 3710 may identify a semanticstructure for the natural language string, or a portion thereof. Inanother example, the natural language processing unit 3710 may identifya probabilistic intent for the natural language string, or a portionthereof, which may correspond to an operative feature of the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000, such as retrieving data from the internaldata, analyzing data the internal data, or modifying the internal data.

The natural language processing unit 3710 may send, transmit, orotherwise communicate request data indicating the tokens, relationships,semantic data, probabilistic intent, or a combination thereof or one ormore portions thereof, identified based on a natural language string tothe relational search unit 3700.

The data utility unit 3720 may receive, process, and maintainuser-agnostic utility data, such as system configuration data,user-specific utility data, such as utilization data, or bothuser-agnostic and user-specific utility data. The utility data mayindicate whether a data portion, such as a column, a record, an insight,or any other data portion, has high utility or low utility within thesystem, such across all users of the system. For example, the utilitydata may indicate that a defined column is a high-utility column or alow-utility column. The data utility unit 3720 may store the utilitydata, such as using the low-latency data structure. For example, inresponse to a user using, or accessing, a data portion, data utilityunit 3720 may store utility data indicating the usage, or access, eventfor the data portion, which may include incrementing a usage eventcounter associated with the data portion. In some embodiments, the datautility unit 3720 may receive the information indicating the usage, oraccess, event for the data portion from the insight unit 3730, and theusage, or access, event for the data portion may indicate that the usageis associated with an insight.

The data utility unit 3720 may receive a signal, message, or othercommunication, indicating a request for utility information. The requestfor utility information may indicate an object or data portion. The datautility unit 3720 may determine, identify, or obtain utility dataassociated with the identified object or data portion. The data utilityunit 3720 may generate and send utility response data responsive to therequest that may indicate the utility data associated with theidentified object or data portion.

The data utility unit 3720 may generate, maintain, operate, or acombination thereof, one or more indexes, such as one or more of a usage(or utility) index, a resolved-request index, or a phrase index, basedon the low-latency data stored in the distributed in-memory database3300, the low-latency database analysis system 3000, or both.

The insight unit 3730 may automatically identify one or more insights,which may be data other than data expressly requested by a user, andwhich may be identified and prioritized, or both, based on probabilisticutility.

The object search unit 3800 may generate, maintain, operate, or acombination thereof, one or more object-indexes, which may be based onthe analytical-objects represented in the low-latency database analysissystem 3000, or a portion thereof, such as pinboards, answers, andworksheets. An object-index may be a defined data structure, orcombination of data structures, for storing analytical-object data in aform optimized for searching. Although shown as a single unit in FIG. 3,the object search unit 3800 may interface with a distinct, separate,object indexing unit (not expressly shown).

The object search unit 3800 may include an object-index populationinterface, an object-index search interface, or both. The object-indexpopulation interface may obtain and store, load, or populateanalytical-object data, or a portion thereof, in the object-indexes. Theobject-index search interface may efficiently access or retrieveanalytical-object data from the object-indexes such as by searching ortraversing the object-indexes, or one or more portions thereof. In someimplementations, the object-index population interface, or a portionthereof, may be a distinct, independent unit.

The object-index population interface may populate, update, or both theobject-indexes, such as periodically, such as in accordance with adefined temporal period, such as thirty minutes. Populating, orupdating, the object-indexes may include obtaining object indexing datafor indexing the analytical-objects represented in the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000. For example, the object-index populationinterface may obtain the analytical-object indexing data, such as fromthe distributed in-memory ontology unit 3500. Populating, or updating,the object-indexes may include generating or creating an indexing datastructure representing an object. The indexing data structure forrepresenting an object may differ from the data structure used forrepresenting the object in other components of the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000, such as in the distributed in-memory ontology unit3500.

The object indexing data for an analytical-object may be a subset of theobject data for the analytical-object. The object indexing data for ananalytical-object may include an object identifier for theanalytical-object uniquely identifying the analytical-object in thelow-latency database analysis system 3000, or in a defined data-domainwithin the low-latency database analysis system 3000. The low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000 may uniquely, unambiguously, distinguishan object from other objects based on the object identifier associatedwith the object. The object indexing data for an analytical-object mayinclude data non-uniquely identifying the object. The low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000 may identify one or moreanalytical-objects based on the non-uniquely identifying data associatedwith the respective objects, or one or more portions thereof. In someimplementations, an object identifier may be an ordered combination ofnon-uniquely identifying object data that, as expressed in the orderedcombination, is uniquely identifying. The low-latency database analysissystem 3000 may enforce the uniqueness of the object identifiers.

Populating, or updating, the object-indexes may include indexing theanalytical-object by including or storing the object indexing data inthe object-indexes. For example, the object indexing data may includedata for an analytical-object, the object-indexes may omit data for theanalytical-object, and the object-index population interface may includeor store the object indexing data in an object-index. In anotherexample, the object indexing data may include data for ananalytical-object, the object-indexes may include data for theanalytical-object, and the object-index population interface may updatethe object indexing data for the analytical-object in the object-indexesin accordance with the object indexing data.

Populating, or updating, the object-indexes may include obtaining objectutility data for the analytical-objects represented in the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000. For example, the object-index populationinterface may obtain the object utility data, such as from the objectutility unit 3810. The object-index population interface may include theobject utility data in the object-indexes in association with thecorresponding objects.

In some implementations, the object-index population interface mayreceive, obtain, or otherwise access the object utility data from adistinct, independent, object utility data population unit, which mayread, obtain, or otherwise access object utility data from the objectutility unit 3810 and may send, transmit, or otherwise provide, theobject utility data to the object search unit 3800. The object utilitydata population unit may send, transmit, or otherwise provide, theobject utility data to the object search unit 3800 periodically, such asin accordance with a defined temporal period, such as thirty minutes.

The object-index search interface may receive, access, or otherwiseobtain data expressing a usage intent with respect to the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000, which may represent a request to accessdata in the low-latency database analysis system 3000, which mayrepresent a request to access one or more analytical-objects representedin the low-latency database analysis system 3000. The object-indexsearch interface may generate one or more object-index queries based onthe data expressing the usage intent. The object-index search interfacemay send, transmit, or otherwise make available the object-index queriesto one or more of the object-indexes.

The object-index search interface may receive, obtain, or otherwiseaccess object search results data indicating one or moreanalytical-objects identified by searching or traversing theobject-indexes in accordance with the object-index queries. Theobject-index search interface may sort or rank the object search resultsdata based on probabilistic utility in accordance with the objectutility data for the analytical-objects in the object search resultsdata. In some implementations, the object-index search interface mayinclude one or more object search ranking metrics with the object-indexqueries and may receive the object search results data sorted or rankedbased on probabilistic utility in accordance with the object utilitydata for the objects in the object search results data and in accordancewith the object search ranking metrics.

For example, the data expressing the usage intent may include a useridentifier, and the object search results data may include object searchresults data sorted or ranked based on probabilistic utility for theuser. In another example, the data expressing the usage intent mayinclude a user identifier and one or more search terms, and the objectsearch results data may include object search results data sorted orranked based on probabilistic utility for the user identified bysearching or traversing the object-indexes in accordance with the searchterms.

The object-index search interface may generate and send, transmit, orotherwise make available the sorted or ranked object search results datato another component of the low-latency database analysis system 3000,such as for further processing and display to the user.

The object utility unit 3810 may receive, process, and maintainuser-specific object utility data for objects represented in thelow-latency database analysis system 3000. The user-specific objectutility data may indicate whether an object has high utility or lowutility for the user.

The object utility unit 3810 may store the user-specific object utilitydata, such as on a per-object basis, a per-activity basis, or both. Forexample, in response to data indicating an object access activity, suchas a user using, viewing, or otherwise accessing, an object, the objectutility unit 3810 may store user-specific object utility data indicatingthe object access activity for the object, which may includeincrementing an object access activity counter associated with theobject, which may be a user-specific object access activity counter. Inanother example, in response to data indicating an object storageactivity, such as a user storing an object, the object utility unit 3810may store user-specific object utility data indicating the objectstorage activity for the object, which may include incrementing astorage activity counter associated with the object, which may be auser-specific object storage activity counter. The user-specific objectutility data may include temporal information, such as a temporallocation identifier associated with the object activity. Otherinformation associated with the object activity may be included in theobject utility data.

The object utility unit 3810 may receive a signal, message, or othercommunication, indicating a request for object utility information. Therequest for object utility information may indicate one or more objects,one or more users, one or more activities, temporal information, or acombination thereof. The request for object utility information mayindicate a request for object utility data, object utility counter data,or both.

The object utility unit 3810 may determine, identify, or obtain objectutility data in accordance with the request for object utilityinformation. The object utility unit 3810 may generate and send objectutility response data responsive to the request that may indicate theobject utility data, or a portion thereof, in accordance with therequest for object utility information.

For example, a request for object utility information may indicate auser, an object, temporal information, such as information indicating atemporal span, and an object activity, such as the object accessactivity. The request for object utility information may indicate arequest for object utility counter data. The object utility unit 3810may determine, identify, or obtain object utility counter dataassociated with the user, the object, and the object activity having atemporal location within the temporal span, and the object utility unit3810 may generate and send object utility response data including theidentified object utility counter data.

In some implementations, a request for object utility information mayindicate multiple users, or may omit indicating a user, and the objectutility unit 3810 may identify user-agnostic object utility dataaggregating the user-specific object utility data. In someimplementations, a request for object utility information may indicatemultiple objects, may omit indicating an object, or may indicate anobject type, such as answer, pinboard, or worksheet, and the objectutility unit 3810 may identify the object utility data by aggregatingthe object utility data for multiple objects in accordance with therequest. Other object utility aggregations may be used.

The system configuration unit 3820 implement or apply one or morelow-latency database analysis system configurations to enable, disable,or configure one or more operative features of the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000. The system configuration unit 3820 may store datarepresenting or defining the one or more low-latency database analysissystem configurations. The system configuration unit 3820 may receivesignals or messages indicating input data, such as input data generatedvia a system access interface, such as a user interface, for accessingor modifying the low-latency database analysis system configurations.The system configuration unit 3820 may generate, modify, delete, orotherwise maintain the low-latency database analysis systemconfigurations, such as in response to the input data. The systemconfiguration unit 3820 may generate or determine output data, and mayoutput the output data, for a system access interface, or a portion orportions thereof, for the low-latency database analysis systemconfigurations, such as for presenting a user interface for thelow-latency database analysis system configurations. Although not shownin FIG. 3, the system configuration unit 3820 may communicate with arepository, such as an external centralized repository, of low-latencydatabase analysis system configurations; the system configuration unit3820 may receive one or more low-latency database analysis systemconfigurations from the repository, and may control or configure one ormore operative features of the low-latency database analysis system 3000in response to receiving one or more low-latency database analysissystem configurations from the repository.

The user customization unit 3830 may receive, process, and maintainuser-specific utility data, such as user defined configuration data,user defined preference data, or a combination thereof. Theuser-specific utility data may indicate whether a data portion, such asa column, a record, an insight, or any other data portion or object, hashigh utility or low utility to an identified user. For example, theuser-specific utility data may indicate that a defined column is ahigh-utility column or a low-utility column. The user customization unit3830 may store the user-specific utility data, such as using thelow-latency data structure. The user customization unit 3830 may storethe feedback at an individual level and may include the context in whichfeedback was received from the user. Feedback may be stored in adisk-based system. In some implementations, feedback may be stored in anin-memory storage.

The system access interface unit 3900 may interface with, or communicatewith, a system access unit (not shown in FIG. 3), which may be a clientdevice, a user device, or another external device or system, or acombination thereof, to provide access to the internal data, features ofthe low-latency database analysis system 3000, or a combination thereof.For example, the system access interface unit 3900 may receive signals,message, or other communications representing interactions with theinternal data, such as data expressing a usage intent and may outputresponse messages, signals, or other communications responsive to thereceived requests.

The system access interface unit 3900 may generate data for presenting auser interface, or one or more portions thereof, for the low-latencydatabase analysis system 3000. For example, the system access interfaceunit 3900 may generate instructions for rendering, or otherwisepresenting, the user interface, or one or more portions thereof and maytransmit, or otherwise make available, the instructions for rendering,or otherwise presenting, the user interface, or one or more portionsthereof to the system access unit, for presentation to a user of thesystem access unit. For example, the system access unit may present theuser interface via a web browser or a web application and theinstructions may be in the form of HTML, JavaScript, or the like.

In an example, the system access interface unit 3900 may include asearch field user interface element in the user interface. The searchfield user interface element may be an unstructured search string userinput element or field. The system access unit may display theunstructured search string user input element. The system access unitmay receive input data, such as user input data, corresponding to theunstructured search string user input element. The system access unitmay transmit, or otherwise make available, the unstructured searchstring user input to the system access interface unit 3900. The userinterface may include other user interface elements and the systemaccess unit may transmit, or otherwise make available, other user inputdata to the system access interface unit 3900.

The system access interface unit 3900 may obtain the user input data,such as the unstructured search string, from the system access unit. Thesystem access interface unit 3900 may transmit, or otherwise makeavailable, the user input data to one or more of the other components ofthe low-latency database analysis system 3000.

In some embodiments, the system access interface unit 3900 may obtainthe unstructured search string user input as a sequence of individualcharacters or symbols, and the system access interface unit 3900 maysequentially transmit, or otherwise make available, individual or groupsof characters or symbols of the user input data to one or more of theother components of the low-latency database analysis system 3000.

In some embodiments, system access interface unit 3900 may obtain theunstructured search string user input may as a sequence of individualcharacters or symbols, the system access interface unit 3900 mayaggregate the sequence of individual characters or symbols, and maysequentially transmit, or otherwise make available, a currentaggregation of the received user input data to one or more of the othercomponents of the low-latency database analysis system 3000, in responseto receiving respective characters or symbols from the sequence, such ason a per-character or per-symbol basis.

The real-time collaboration unit 3910 may receive signals or messagesrepresenting input received in accordance with multiple users, ormultiple system access devices, associated with a collaboration contextor session, may output data, such as visualizations, generated ordetermined by the low-latency database analysis system 3000 to multipleusers associated with the collaboration context or session, or both. Thereal-time collaboration unit 3910 may receive signals or messagesrepresenting input received in accordance with one or more usersindicating a request to establish a collaboration context or session,and may generate, maintain, or modify collaboration data representingthe collaboration context or session, such as a collaboration sessionidentifier. The real-time collaboration unit 3910 may receive signals ormessages representing input received in accordance with one or moreusers indicating a request to participate in, or otherwise associatewith, a currently active collaboration context or session, and mayassociate the one or more users with the currently active collaborationcontext or session. In some implementations, the input, output, or both,of the real-time collaboration unit 3910 may include synchronizationdata, such as temporal data, that may be used to maintainsynchronization, with respect to the collaboration context or session,among the low-latency database analysis system 3000 and one or moresystem access devices associated with, or otherwise accessing, thecollaboration context or session.

The third-party integration unit 3920 may include an electroniccommunication interface, such as an application programming interface(API), for interfacing or communicating between an external, such asthird-party, application or system, and the low-latency databaseanalysis system 3000. For example, the third-party integration unit 3920may include an electronic communication interface to transfer databetween the low-latency database analysis system 3000 and one or moreexternal applications or systems, such as by importing data into thelow-latency database analysis system 3000 from the external applicationsor systems or exporting data from the low-latency database analysissystem 3000 to the external applications or systems. For example, thethird-party integration unit 3920 may include an electroniccommunication interface for electronic communication with an externalexchange, transfer, load (ETL) system, which may import data into thelow-latency database analysis system 3000 from an external data sourceor may export data from the low-latency database analysis system 3000 toan external data repository. In another example, the third-partyintegration unit 3920 may include an electronic communication interfacefor electronic communication with external machine learning analysissoftware, which may export data from the low-latency database analysissystem 3000 to the external machine learning analysis software and mayimport data into the low-latency database analysis system 3000 from theexternal machine learning analysis software. The third-party integrationunit 3920 may transfer data independent of, or in conjunction with, thesystem access interface unit 3900, the enterprise data interface unit3400, or both.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of a portion of an indexing unit4000 of a low-latency database analysis system. For example, arelational search unit, such as the relational search unit 3700 of thelow-latency database analysis system 3000 shown in FIG. 3, may includeor implement the indexing unit 4000. The indexing unit 4000 may beimplemented on one or more computing devices, such as servers 2220,2240, 2260, and 2280 shown in FIG. 2, which may be in a clustered ordistributed computing configuration.

As shown in FIG. 4, the indexing unit 4000 includes an indexingcoordination unit 4100, a first indexing operation unit 4110, a secondindexing operation unit 4120, and a third indexing operation unit 4130.Any number of indexing operation units may be used. Although not shownexpressly in FIG. 4, implementing the indexing unit 4000 in a clusteredor distributed computing configuration may include implementing theindexing coordination unit 4100 on a first node of the clustered ordistributed computing configuration, implementing the first indexingoperation unit 4110 on a second node of the clustered or distributedcomputing configuration, implementing the second indexing operation unit4120 on a third node of the clustered or distributed computingconfiguration, and implementing the third indexing operation unit 4130on a fourth node of the clustered or distributed computingconfiguration. The indexing coordination unit 4100 may be implemented asa service. The indexing coordination unit 4100 may be similar to theprimary relational search unit described with respect to FIG. 3, exceptas described herein or otherwise clear from context. Although notexpressly shown in FIG. 4, the indexing coordination unit 4100 mayinclude one or more index managers (or index management units), anontological manager (or ontological management unit), a shard manager(or shard management unit), an indexing scheduler, or any combinationthereof.

Generating, maintaining, or operating an index may include partitioningthe index into index partitions, such as via index partitioning. Indexpartitioning may include partitioning the constituent data that theindex is indexing into two or more distinct index partitions. Each indexpartition may include a set, group, or collection of database objects,such as tables. Each index partition may be smaller, and may utilizefewer resources, than a corresponding monolithic (unpartitioned) index.For example, a first table from the constituent data may be indexed in afirst index partition and a second table from the constituent data maybe indexed into a second index partition. The resource utilization forgenerating, or regenerating, an index partition may be proportional tosize of the respective partition (e.g., the amount of constituent dataindexed in the respective partition). One or more index partitions maybe generated, or regenerated, independently from generating, orregenerating, other index partitions. Index partitioning may includepartitioning the constituent data that the index is indexing into two ormore distinct index partitions based on table size or update frequency,which may improve the isolation and parallelism of index generation.

Generating, maintaining, or operating an index may include dividing anindex partition into index segments, such as via index segmentation.Index segmentation may include segmenting the constituent data that theindex partition is indexing into two or more distinct index segments.Each index segment may include a set, group, or collection of databaseobjects, such as tables. Each index segment may be smaller, and mayutilize fewer resources, than a corresponding monolithic (unsegmented)index or index partition. For example, a first table from theconstituent data may be indexed in a first index segment and a secondtable from the constituent data may be indexed into a second indexsegment. The resource utilization for generating, or regenerating, anindex segment may be proportional to size of the respective segment(e.g., the amount of constituent data indexed in the respectivesegment). One or more index segments may be generated, or regenerated,independently from generating, or regenerating, other index segments.Index segmentation may include segmenting the constituent data that theindex partition is indexing into two or more distinct index segmentsbased on table size or update frequency, which may improve the isolationand parallelism of index generation. In some implementations, indexpartitioning may be omitted, and the index may be segmented.

Generating, maintaining, or operating an index may include dividing anindex segment into index shards, such as via index sharding. An indexshard may be a portion of an index that may be implemented (created,loaded, operated) on a respective indexing operation unit 4110, 4120,4130. An index shard may be a typed associative structure that maydescribe a relationship, or mapping, between a value, such as a stringvalue, and a token data structure. An index shard may be templated basedon the type of tokens indexed. An index shard may be an associative datastructure for storing tokens (e.g., string keys) optimized for speed andefficiency. One or more of the index shards of an index may be stored,operated, or both, on a respective computing device, such as one or moreof the servers 2220, 2240, 2260, and 2280 shown in FIG. 2.

The indexing coordination unit 4100 may obtain index configuration datafor one or more indexes. For example, the indexing coordination unit4100 may receive or otherwise access the index configuration data 4300.The index configuration data may include token type information, datasource information, index distribution coordination information, or acombination thereof. For example, the token type information mayindicate whether the tokens indexed by a respective index areontological data tokens or constituent data tokens. Other token typesmay be used. The data source information may identify one or moresources of data, such as ontological data or constituent data,corresponding to the respective indexes. For example, data sourceinformation identifying a source of ontological data, which may includeinformation for obtaining ontological data from the distributedin-memory ontology unit 3500 shown in FIG. 3. In another example, datasource information identifying a source of constituent data may includeinformation for obtaining the constituent data from the distributedin-memory database 3300 shown in FIG. 3. Other data sources, such as ausage data source, may be used. The data source information identifyinga source of constituent data may include the information for obtainingcorresponding ontological data. The index distribution coordinationinformation may include information indicating one or more rules orconstraints for organizing the indexes among the indexing operationunits 4110, 4120, 4130. For example, the index distribution coordinationinformation may include information indicating that an ontological dataindex may be included in each of the indexing operation units 4110,4120, 4130.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 4, the indexing coordination unit4100 may obtain indexing operation unit data indicating theconfiguration and status of the indexing operation units 4110, 4120,4130. For example, the indexing coordination unit 4100 may receive, orotherwise access, the indexing operation unit data from a distributedcluster manager, such as the distributed cluster manager 3100 shown inFIG. 3.

Generating, maintaining, or operating an index may include generatingone or more respective shard specifications. A shard specification maydefine the data source or sources for building an index shard. The shardspecifications may be generated based on the constituent data, orcorresponding sample data, for the index and a defined shardingstrategy. The shard specifications may be stored in a shardspecification repository, such as a shard specification repository inthe low-latency database analysis system 3000 shown in FIG. 3. A shardspecification may include a description of an index shard such that anindexing operation unit 4110, 4120, 4130 may generate, build, or loadthe index shard based on the shard specification. For example, a shardspecification may include token type information, token streaminformation, range partitioning information, segment information,current (active) version information, target version information, or acombination thereof. The version information (current, target) mayrespectively include an integer version value, source information, or acombination thereof. The source information may include, for example, anindication of ontological data corresponding to the source and anindication of low-latency data stored in the distributed in-memorydatabase, such as a column specification. The source information mayinclude a post-partition value, which may indicate whether to partitiontokens from obtained from the source to extract matching tokens. Forexample, partitioning may be omitted for previously partitioned tokens,such as tokens partitioned by the corresponding data-query, as indicatedby the post-partition value. In some implementations, the shardspecification may include or identify one or more data-query definitionsfor the index shard, such as a sampling data-query, which may be used toquery the data source, such as the distributed in-memory database 3300shown in FIG. 3, for sample data, such as sample tokens, from theconstituent data corresponding to the index shard, an indexingdata-query, which may be used to query the data source for data, such astokens, from the constituent data corresponding to the index shard, ormay include sampling data-queries and indexing data-queries.

For each index indicated in the index configuration data the indexingcoordination unit 4100 may initiate, instantiate, or operate arespective index manager. The index managers may monitor thecorresponding data source to identify updates or changes and may updatethe shard manager to create and distribute shards to represent theupdated state of the data source. An index manager may be associatedwith a data source. For example, an index manager may be associated withthe distributed in-memory database 3300 shown in FIG. 3. In someimplementations, the index managers may identify and send one or moreshard specifications for a respective index to the shard manager.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 4, the indexing unit 4000 mayinclude one or more segment managers (or segment management units). Forexample, the indexing unit 4000 may include a segment managercorresponding to each respective index segment. Each segment manager mayoperate within a respective thread, which may be independent of othersegment manager threads and may be independent of a thread for theindexing coordination unit 4100. In some implementations, the indexmanager for an index may identify the segments for the index and mayinstantiate a respective segment manager for each segment. In someimplementations, the segment managers may identify and send one or moreshard specifications for a respective index segment to the index managerfor the corresponding index.

The shard manager may store shard specifications, such as shardspecifications received from the index managers, shard binding, such asshard bindings identified by the indexing scheduler, shard statusinformation, such as shard status information received from therespective index repositories 4112, 4122, 4132.

The indexing scheduler may distribute the shards among the indexingoperation units 4110, 4120, 4130. The indexing scheduler may transmit,send, or otherwise make available, a sharding schedule, indicatingbindings of shards to the indexing operation units 4110, 4120, 4130, tothe shard manager.

The ontological manager may obtain ontological data, such as from thedistributed in-memory ontology unit 3500 shown in FIG. 3. Theontological manager may transmit, send, or otherwise make available, theontological data to the respective index managers. Although not shownexpressly in FIG. 4, each of the indexing operation units 4110, 4120,4130 may include a respective ontological data replica. The ontologicalmanager may transmit, send, or otherwise make available, the ontologicaldata to the respective ontological data replicas.

The ontological data may define or describe objects in the low-latencydatabase analysis system, such as tables, columns, security groups, orany other object described herein or otherwise represented in thelow-latency database analysis system, which may include identifying oneor more properties of respective objects and may include describingrelationships between respective objects. A token in the low-latencydatabase analysis system may be annotated with ontological dataidentifying a respective parent object for the token. An object, such asa column, may be uniquely identified in the low-latency databaseanalysis system by an integer value, such as a column index. A columnindex based bitmap may be used a as a compact representation of a set ofcolumns. Traversing an index may include using the column index bitmaps.The ontological manager may manage a column index map for thelow-latency database analysis system, which may include the allocationand reallocation of indices.

In some implementations, the indexing coordination unit 4100 mayidentify a change in the status or configuration of one or more of theindexing operation units 4110, 4120, 4130. For example, the indexingcoordination unit 4100 may determine that one or more of the indexingoperation units 4110, 4120, 4130 is unavailable. In response toidentifying a change in the status or configuration of one or more ofthe indexing operation units 4110, 4120, 4130, the indexing coordinationunit 4100 may regenerate and resend one or more indexing assignments toone or more of the indexing operation units 4110, 4120, 4130.

The indexing coordination unit 4100 may generate index organization, orlayout, data indicating the organization of the respective portions ofthe indexes with respect to the indexing operation units 4110, 4120,4130. The indexing coordination unit 4100 may generate and send one ormore messages or signals indicating the index organization, or layout,data to one or more of the index searchers 4114, 4124, 4134. Theindexing coordination unit 4100 may identify shard configurationinformation based on the index configuration information and theindexing operation unit data. For example, the shard configurationinformation may include one or more indexing data-queries that may beused to obtain tokens from the data source, such as from the low-latencydata stored in the distributed in-memory database. A respective indexingoperation unit 4110, 4120, 4130 may instantiate, build, generate, load,or operate a shard based on the shard configuration information for theshard.

In response to identifying a data source update, the indexingcoordination unit 4100 may coordinate transitionally transitioning theshards from a current (active), pre-update, state to a target,post-update, state. The indexing coordination unit 4100 may pin one ormore versions of a shard to implement the transition. For example, theindexing coordination unit 4100 may pin an active shard version, whichmay include information for generating the current state of the shard,and a target version, which may include information for generating thetarget state of the shard. In response to determining that target shardsare available, the target versions may be identified as the activeversions.

Each of the indexing operation units 4110, 4120, 4130 may include arespective index repository 4112, 4122, 4132, a respective indexsearcher 4114, 4124, 4134, or both. The indexing operation units 4110,4120, 4130 may be similar to the secondary relational search unitinstances described with respect to FIG. 3, except as described hereinor otherwise clear from context.

An index repository 4112, 4122, 4132 may generate (build) or load one ormore respective local (within the respective repository) indexes, orindex portions, based on one or more indexing assignments, ontologicaldata received from the indexing coordination unit 4100, or a combinationthereof. An index repository 4112, 4122, 4132 may obtain constituentdata from a data source, which may include obtaining tokens for arespective index.

An index searcher 4114, 4124, 4134 may receive a request for data, suchas from a relational search unit, such as the relational search unit3700 shown in FIG. 3. In some implementations, the relational searchunit and the index searcher 4114, 4124, 4134 may be implemented on arespective logical or physical device. In some implementations, therelational search unit may send, transmit, or otherwise make available,a request for data to an index searcher 4114, 4124, 4134 on anotherlogical or physical device. An index searcher 4114, 4124, 4134 maytransmit, send, or otherwise make available, a request for data, or oneor more portions thereof, to one or more shards of the correspondingindex, which may be on one or more of the indexing operation units 4110,4120, 4130. The index searcher 4114, 4124, 4134 may receive responsedata from respective shards, may aggregate or assemble the responsedata, and may transmit, send, or otherwise make available, theaggregated response data to the relational search unit.

An index query may use a consistent version across shards of an index.For example, a monotonically increasing integer version value may beassigned to a shard version and the respective index searcher 4114,4124, 4134 may pin the shard version to distribute an index query amongthe index repository 4112, 4122, 4132.

The first indexing operation unit 4110 may include a first indexrepository 4112. The first indexing operation unit 4110 may receive anindexing assignment from the indexing coordination unit 4100. The firstindexing operation unit 4110 may generate, build, or load one or moreindex portions in the first index repository 4112 in response toreceiving, or otherwise accessing, the indexing assignment from theindexing coordination unit 4100. The first indexing operation unit 4110may obtain token data for the index portion of the first indexrepository 4112, such as by sending a request for token data to the oneor more sources for of constituent data corresponding to the indexes,such as the distributed in-memory database 3300 shown in FIG. 3. Thefirst index repository 4112 may send, transmit, or otherwise makeavailable, status information regarding the shards assigned to the firstindex repository 4112. The first index repository 4112 may implement aninterface for searching the shards assigned to the first indexrepository 4112.

The second indexing operation unit 4120 may include a second indexrepository 4122. The second indexing operation unit 4120 may receive anindexing assignment from the indexing coordination unit 4100. The secondindexing operation unit 4120 may generate, build, or load one or moreindex portions in the second index repository 4122 in response toreceiving, or otherwise accessing, the indexing assignment from theindexing coordination unit 4100. The second indexing operation unit 4120may obtain token data for the index portion of the second indexrepository 4122, such as by sending a request for token data to the oneor more sources for of constituent data corresponding to the indexes,such as the distributed in-memory database 3300 shown in FIG. 3. Thesecond index repository 4122 may send, transmit, or otherwise makeavailable, status information regarding the shards assigned to thesecond index repository 4122. The second index repository 4122 mayimplement an interface for searching the shards assigned to the secondindex repository 4122.

The third indexing operation unit 4130 may include a third indexrepository 4132. The third indexing operation unit 4130 may receive anindexing assignment from the indexing coordination unit 4100. The thirdindexing operation unit 4130 may generate, build, or load one or moreindex portions in the third index repository 4132 in response toreceiving, or otherwise accessing, the indexing assignment from theindexing coordination unit 4100. The third indexing operation unit 4130may obtain token data for the index portion of the third indexrepository 4132, such as by sending a request for token data to the oneor more sources for of constituent data corresponding to the indexes,such as the distributed in-memory database 3300 shown in FIG. 3. Thethird index repository 4132 may send, transmit, or otherwise makeavailable, status information regarding the shards assigned to the thirdindex repository 4132. The third index repository 4132 may implement aninterface for searching the shards assigned to the third indexrepository 4132.

The first indexing operation unit 4110 may include a first indexsearcher 4114, the second indexing operation unit 4120 may include asecond index searcher 4124, the third indexing operation unit 4130 mayinclude a third index searcher 4134.

The index searchers 4114, 4124, 4134 may, respectively, distributereceived index queries to relevant shards, such as based on shard layoutinformation obtained from the indexing coordination unit 4100. The indexsearchers 4114, 4124, 4134 may obtain index search results data inresponse to distributing the index queries and may send, transmit, orotherwise make available the index search results data to the indexingcoordination unit 4100.

Generating or regenerating an index may include compacting the index.Compacting an index may include merging the auxiliary index and theprimary index and repartitioning the merged set of objects (tables).Generating or regenerating an index may include an indexing coordinationunit, such as the indexing coordination unit 4100, coordinating one ormore indexing operation units, such as the indexing operation units4110, 4120, 4130. In some implementations, each indexing operation unitmay correspond with a respective thread.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example of phrase indexing 5000 in alow-latency database analysis system. Phrase indexing 5000 may beimplemented by an indexing unit, such as the relational search unit 3700shown in FIG. 3, or the indexing unit 4000 shown in FIG. 4. Phraseindexing 5000 may be similar to the indexing shown in FIG. 4, except asdescribed herein or otherwise clear from context.

A relational search unit of the low-latency database analysis system,such as the relational search unit 3700 shown in FIG. 3, may generate,maintain, operate, or a combination thereof, one or more indexes, whichmay include a constituent data index, a phrase index, and aresolved-request index.

The constituent data index, or token index, may be an index of theconstituent data stored in the low-latency database analysis system,such as in the distributed in-memory database 3300 shown in FIG. 3,which may be represented as respective tokens in the constituent dataindex, such as tokens representing columns in the distributed in-memorydatabase and tokens representing constituent data values in thedistributed in-memory database. A token indexed in the constituent dataindex may include an ordered sequence of one or more characters orsymbols, which may include characters or symbols representingwhitespace. A token indexed in the constituent data index may beassociated with utility data corresponding to the data portionrepresented by the token.

The phrase index may be an index of well-formed phrases. A phrase, orwell-formed phrase, may include a distinct ordered sequence of one ormore tokens identified as a phrase. A phrase indexed in the phrase indexmay be associated with utility data corresponding to the phrase. In someimplementations, single token phrases may be omitted from the phraseindex.

The resolved-request index may be an index of resolved-requests. Aresolved-request indexed by the resolved-request index may include anordered sequence of one or more phrases identified as aresolved-request. A resolved-request indexed in the resolved-requestindex may be associated with utility data corresponding to theresolved-request.

Phrase indexing 5000 may include obtaining data expressing a usageintent at 5100, identifying a resolved-request at 5200, phrase indexingat 5300, or a combination thereof.

Data expressing a usage intent may be obtained at 5100. For example, thelow-latency database analysis system may obtain the data expressing theusage intent, such as a request for data. For example, the relationalsearch unit may receive, obtain, or otherwise access the data expressingthe usage intent.

A resolved-request may be identified at 5200. For example, therelational search unit may process, parse, identify semantics, tokenize,or a combination thereof, the data expressing the usage intent togenerate a resolved-request, which may include identifying one or moreportions of the ordered sequence of tokens as respective phrases.

For example, the data expressing the usage intent may include a string,such as the string “precipitation by year climate=tropical”. The firstportion, including the string “precipitation”, may be identified ascorresponding to a “precipitation” token, which may be identified asrepresenting a data expressing the usage intent stored in a“precipitation” column of a table in the data source. The secondportion, including the string “by”, may be identified as correspondingto a “by” token, which may be identified as representing a keyword tokenrepresenting a request to group data. The third portion, including thestring “year”, may be identified as corresponding to a “year” token,which may be identified as representing a date value token representingtemporal information. The fourth portion, including the string“climate”, may be identified as corresponding to a “climate” token,which may be identified as representing a data expressing the usageintent stored in a “climate” column of a table in the data source. Thefifth portion, including the string “=”, may be identified ascorresponding to an equality token, which may be identified asrepresenting a keyword token representing the equality relationship. Thesixth portion, including the string “tropical”, may be identified ascorresponding to a “tropical” token, which may be identified asrepresenting a data expressing the usage intent having the value“tropical” from a column of a table in the data source. The“precipitation” token may be identified as a well-formed aggregationphrase representing a request for an aggregation of the values stored inthe “precipitation” column. The ordered sequence (“by year”) of the “by”token and the “year” token may be identified as a well-formed groupingphrase indicating a request to group data in accordance with respectivevalues stored in the “year” column. The ordered sequence(“climate=tropical”) of the “climate” token, the equality token (=”),and the “tropical” token may be identified as a well-formed filteringphrase indicating a request to filter data in accordance with respectivevalues stored in the “climate” column corresponding to the “tropical”token. The sequence “precipitation by year climate=tropical” may beidentified as a well-formed resolved-request, representing a request foraggregate precipitation data grouped by year and filtered to omit dataother than data corresponding to the climate value of “tropical”.

Although data portions are described herein with respect to valuesstored in columns of tables in the distributed in-memory database, oneor more data portions may correspond to data stored in the low-latencydatabase analysis system other than in the distributed in-memorydatabase or one or more dynamically generated data portions generated,or identified for generation, in accordance with the data expressing theusage intent.

Although not shown separately in FIG. 5, the resolved-request may beindexed in the resolved-request index. The resolved-request index mayinclude context data for a respective resolved-request. For example, fora resolved-request the resolved-request index may include dataindicating that the resolved-request includes respective tokens,respective phrases, or both, and may indicate order or sequenceinformation for the respective tokens, phrases, or both.

The respective phrases identified at 5200, such as the aggregationphrase, the grouping phrase, and the filtering phrase may be indexed at5300. Indexing a respective phrase may include determining whether thephrase index includes a previously indexed phrase corresponding to therespective phrase. The phrase index may omit a previously indexed phrasecorresponding to the respective phrase, and the respective phrase may beincluded, or indexed, in the phrase index. The phrase index may includecontext data for the respective phrase. For example, for a phrase thephrase index may include data indicating that the phrase includesrespective tokens and may indicate order or sequence information for therespective tokens in the phrase. A phrase may be indexed independentlyof the resolved-request from which the phrase was identified.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example of intent-resolution using aphrase index 6000 in a low-latency database analysis system.Intent-resolution using a phrase index 6000 may be implemented by one ormore of the components of the low-latency database analysis system, suchas by an indexing unit, such as the relational search unit 3700 shown inFIG. 3, or the indexing unit 4000 shown in FIG. 4.

Intent-resolution using a phrase index 6000 may include obtaining dataexpressing a usage intent at 6100, phrase fragment identification at6200, candidate token identification at 6300, candidate phraseidentification at 6400, candidate resolved-request identification at6500, weighting and sorting at 6600, output at 6700, or a combinationthereof.

The low-latency database analysis system may obtain data expressing ausage intent, such as a request for data, at 6100. For example, therelational search unit may receive, obtain, or otherwise access therequest for data, which may include string data.

One or more phrase fragments may be identified at 6200 based on the dataexpressing the usage intent obtained at 6100. One or more phrasefragments or portions may be identified, such as by the relationalsearch unit, based on the data expressing the usage intent, or a portionthereof. A phrase fragment may include one or more tokens, unresolveddata, such as one or more sequences of one or more characters orsymbols, or an ordered combination of tokens and unresolved data.Identifying the phrase fragments may include identifying phraseboundaries, such as based on one or more defined phrase patterns. Forexample, phrase boundaries of an ordered sequence of non-overlappingphrase fragments may be identified from the data expressing the usageintent based on the defined phrase patterns.

A phrase pattern may indicate an ordered sequence of one or more phraseparts. The phrase parts may be defined tokens or token types. Therespective phrase parts in a phrase pattern may have correspondingpositions in the sequence of the phrase pattern. For example, a phrasepattern representing an implicit aggregation, such as a ‘sum’, ofmeasure data may include a phrase part indicating a measure type token.In another example, a phrase pattern representing an express aggregationmay include a phrase part indicating a token of a keyword token type,such as ‘average’, followed by a phrase part indicating a measure typetoken. In another example, a phrase pattern representing a filter mayinclude a phrase part indicating a token type representing a source ofdata, such as a column, followed by a phrase part indicating an operatortype token, such as the equality token, followed by a phrase partindicating a date value token type representing a filtering metric, suchas a value. In another example, a phrase pattern representing a temporalfilter may include a phrase part indicating a keyword token type, suchas ‘last’, followed by a phrase part indicating a value token typerepresenting a filtering metric, such as a number, followed by a phrasepart indicating a temporal keyword token type, such as ‘months’. Inanother example, a phrase pattern representing a sort may include aphrase part indicating a keyword token type, such as ‘sort’ or ‘ranked’,followed by a phrase part indicating a keyword token type, such as ‘by’,followed by a phrase part indicating a token type representing a sourceof data, such as a column. In another example, a phrase patternrepresenting a temporal aggregation may include a phrase part indicatinga keyword token type, such as ‘by’, followed by a phrase part indicatinga temporal keyword token type, such as ‘year’. Other patterns may beused.

The data expressing the usage intent obtained at 6100 may include anordered sequence of portions, such as tokens, unresolved portions, orboth. The portions of the data expressing the usage intent may haverespective positions in the sequence of the data expressing the usageintent. Identifying the phrase boundaries may include evaluating, suchas sequentially, one or more portions from the data expressing the usageintent in accordance with the respective phrase parts of one or morephrase patterns for corresponding positions.

A token, or sequence of tokens, from the data expressing the usageintent matching, on a per-position basis, a phrase pattern may beidentified as a phrase fragment. For example, the data expressing theusage intent may include a measure type token, such as ‘precipitation’,a phrase pattern representing an implicit aggregation, such as a ‘sum’,of measure data may include a phrase part indicating a measure typetoken, and the token may be identified as a phrase fragmentcorresponding to the phrase pattern. In another example, the dataexpressing the usage intent may include a sequenced of tokens, such asthe ‘precipitation’ token, followed by the ‘by’ token, followed by the‘year’ token, which may be identified as a first phrase fragmentincluding the ‘precipitation’ token matching a measure token type phrasepattern, and a second phrase fragment including the ‘by’ token followedby the ‘year’ token matching a temporal aggregation phrase pattern.

A token, or sequence of tokens, from the data expressing the usageintent, for which a phrase pattern matching the token, or sequence oftokens, is unavailable, matching, on a per-position basis, a portion ofa phrase pattern, such as in sequential order, may be identified as aphrase fragment. For example, the data expressing the usage intent mayinclude a keyword type token, such as ‘average’ and may omit subsequentresolved tokens, a phrase pattern representing an express aggregation ofmeasure data may include a phrase part indicating a token of a keywordtoken type, such as ‘average’, followed by a phrase part indicating ameasure type token, and the token may be identified as a phrase fragmentcorresponding to the phrase pattern, or as a portion thereof. Subsequentportions of the data expressing the usage intent may be identified asone or more subsequent phrase fragments. In another example, the dataexpressing the usage intent may include a measure type token, such as‘precipitation’, followed by a keyword type token, such as ‘by’, and mayomit subsequent data portions, which may be identified as a first phrasefragment including the ‘precipitation’ token matching a measure tokentype phrase pattern, and a second phrase fragment including the ‘by’token matching a temporal aggregation phrase pattern, or a portionthereof.

Unresolved data from the data expressing the usage intent, such as dataother than data previously resolved as one or more tokens, other thanportions corresponding to phrase fragments previously identified for thedata expressing the usage intent, matching, or partially matching, on aper-position basis, a portion of a phrase pattern, such as in sequentialorder, may be identified as a phrase fragment. For example, the dataexpressing the usage intent may include a keyword type token, such as‘average’, followed by unresolved data, such as the string ‘p’, a phrasepattern representing an express aggregation of measure data may includea phrase part indicating a token of a keyword token type, such as‘average’, followed by a phrase part indicating a measure type token,and the data expressing the usage intent may be identified as a phrasefragment corresponding to the phrase pattern, or as a portion thereof.

One or more indexed tokens may be identified as candidate tokens at 6300based on the data expressing the usage intent obtained at 6100, thephrase fragments identified at 6200, or a combination thereof. Forexample, the relational search unit may process, parse, identifysemantics, tokenize, or a combination thereof, the data expressing theusage intent, or a portion thereof, to identify one or more indexedtokens. Identifying the indexed tokens may include traversing orsearching one or more token indexes, such as the constituent data index,to identify respective indexed tokens corresponding to one or moreportions or fragments of the data expressing the usage intent. In someimplementations, one or more indexed tokens may be identifiedcorresponding to a part of a phrase pattern wherein data correspondingto the part of the phrase pattern is omitted from the data expressingthe usage intent. For example, the data expressing the usage intent mayinclude a token, or tokens, corresponding to one or more parts of aphrase pattern, the phrase pattern may include a subsequent part, thedata expressing the usage intent may omit a subsequent data portion, andcandidate tokens may be identified in accordance with the subsequentpart indicated in the phrase pattern.

One or more indexed phrases may be identified as candidate phrases at6400 based on the data expressing the usage intent obtained at 6100, thephrase fragments identified at 6200, or a combination thereof.Identifying the indexed phrases may include traversing or searching thephrase index to identify indexed phrases corresponding to, such asmatching, or partially matching, respective phrase fragments.

One or more indexed resolved-requests may be identified as candidateresolved-requests at 6500 based on the data expressing the usage intentobtained at 6100. For example, the relational search unit may process,parse, identify semantics, tokenize, or a combination thereof, the dataexpressing the usage intent to identify one or more indexedresolved-requests. Identifying the indexed resolved-requests may includetraversing or searching the resolved-request index to identifyrespective indexed resolved-requests corresponding to the dataexpressing the usage intent.

The candidate tokens identified at 6300, the candidate phrasesidentified at 6400, and the candidate resolved-requests identified at6500 may be weighted, scored, sorted, ranked, or ordered, separately orin combination, at 6600. For example, a first weight may be identifiedfor respective candidate tokens, a second weight, greater than the firstweight, may be identified for respective candidate phrases, and a thirdweight, greater than the second weight, may be identified for respectivecandidate resolved-requests. The candidate tokens identified at 6300,the candidate phrases identified at 6400, and the candidateresolved-requests identified at 6500 may be referred to hereincollectively as candidate resolutions. The candidate resolutions may besorted or ordered based on the respective weights or scores. Theweighting may be based on utility data, such as utility data obtainedfrom the data utility unit. Other metrics, such as a definedsignificance metric, or a cardinality of distinct values for a column,may be used.

Candidate resolution data may be output at 6700. For example, therelational search unit may generate a candidate resolution messageincluding candidate resolution data indicating one or more of thecandidate resolutions, such as based on weight, score, or orderpriority, and may transmit, send, or otherwise make available, thecandidate resolution message, or a portion thereof, to another componentof the low-latency database analysis system, such as to a semanticinterface unit, such as the semantic interface unit 3600 shown in FIG.3, or to a system access interface unit, such as the system accessinterface unit 3900 shown in FIG. 3, for presentation to a user via auser interface.

In an example, the token index may include the tokens “precipitation”,“by”, “year”, climate”, “=”, and “tropical”; the phrase index mayinclude the indexed phrases “precipitation”, “by year”, and“climate=tropical”; and the resolved-request index may include theresolved request “precipitation by year climate=tropical”. The dataexpressing the usage intent obtained at 6100 may include string data,such as the string “average p”. The portion of the data expressing theusage intent including the string “average” may be resolved, such aspreviously resolved, to the token “average”. The portion of the dataexpressing the usage intent including the string “p” may be unresolvedrequest data. The token “average” followed by the unresolved data string“p” may be identified as corresponding to a phrase pattern representingan express aggregation of measure data and may be identified as a phrasefragment at 6200. Candidate tokens in accordance with the phrasefragment identified at 6200 and starting with the string “p” may beidentified at 6300. For example, the token “precipitation” may beidentified as a candidate token at 6300. Candidate phrases in accordancewith the phrase fragment identified at 6200 and starting with the string“average p” may be identified at 6400. For example, the phrase index mayomit indexed phrases starting with the string “average p” and zerocandidate phrase may be identified at 6400. Candidate resolved-requestsstarting with the string “average p” may be identified at 6500. Forexample, the resolved-request index may omit indexed resolved-requestsstarting with the string “average p” and zero candidateresolved-requests may be identified at 6500. The candidate resolutionsmay be sorted into maximum weight first order at 6600. One or more ofthe candidate resolutions may be output at 6700.

In another example, the token index may include the tokens“temperature”, “precipitation”, “by”, “year”, climate”, “=”, and“tropical”; the phrase index may include the phrases “precipitation”,“by year”, and “climate=tropical”; and the resolved-request index mayinclude the resolved request “precipitation by year climate=tropical”.The data expressing the usage intent obtained at 6100 may include astring, such as the string “temperature by”. The portion of the dataexpressing the usage intent including the string “temperature” may beresolved, such as previously resolved, to the token “temperature”. Theportion of the data expressing the usage intent including the string“by” may be resolved, such as previously resolved, to the token “by”.The token “temperature” may be resolved, such as previously resolved, toa phrase pattern representing an implicit aggregation, such as a ‘sum’,of measure data. The token “by” may be identified as corresponding to aphrase pattern representing a temporal aggregation phrase pattern andmay be identified as a phrase fragment, or a portion thereof, at 6200.Candidate tokens in accordance with the phrase fragment identified at6200, such as in accordance with one or more phrase patterns startingwith the token “by” followed by one or more subsequent tokens, or tokentypes, may be identified at 6300. For example, the token “year” may beidentified as a candidate token at 6300 in accordance with a phrasepattern including the keyword token “by” followed by a temporal token.In another example, the token “region” may be identified as a candidatetoken at 6300 in accordance with a phrase pattern including the keywordtoken “by” followed by an attribute token. Some indexed tokens differingfrom the phrase pattern, or phrase patterns, identified at 6200, such asthe token “by” and the token “tropical”, may be omitted from thecandidate tokes. Candidate phrases in accordance with the phrasefragment identified at 6200 may be identified at 6400. For example, thecandidate phrase “by year” may be identified at 6400. Candidateresolved-requests starting with the string “temperature by” may beidentified at 6500. For example, the resolved-request index may omitindexed resolved-requests starting with the string “temperature by” andzero candidate resolved-requests may be identified at 6500. Thecandidate resolutions may be sorted into maximum weight first order at6600. One or more of the candidate resolutions may be output at 6700.

In another example, the token index may include the tokens“precipitation”, “by”, “year”, climate”, “=”, “polar”, and “tropical”;the phrase index may include the phrases “precipitation”, “by year”,“climate=polar”, and “climate=tropical”; and the resolved-request indexmay include the resolved request “precipitation by yearclimate=tropical”. The data expressing the usage intent obtained at 6100may include a string, such as the string “precipitation by yearclimate=”. The portion of the data expressing the usage intent includingthe string “precipitation” may be resolved, such as previously resolved,to the token “precipitation”. The portion of the data expressing theusage intent including the string “by” may be resolved, such aspreviously resolved, to the token “by”. The portion of the dataexpressing the usage intent including the string “year” may be resolved,such as previously resolved, to the token “year”. The portion of thedata expressing the usage intent including the string “climate” may beresolved, such as previously resolved, to the token “climate”. Theportion of the data expressing the usage intent including the string “=”may be resolved, such as previously resolved, to the equality token. Thetoken “precipitation” may be resolved, such as previously resolved, to aphrase pattern representing an implicit aggregation, such as a ‘sum’, ofmeasure data. The token “by” followed by the token “year” may beresolved, such as previously resolved, to a phrase pattern representinga temporal aggregation phrase pattern. The token “climate” followed bythe equality token may be identified as corresponding to a phrasepattern representing a filter, such as a phrase pattern including aphrase part indicating a token type representing a source of data, suchas a column, corresponding to the token “climate”, followed by a phrasepart indicating an operator type token, such as the equality token,followed by a phrase part indicating a date value token typerepresenting a filtering metric, such as a value, and may be identifiedas a phrase fragment, or a portion thereof, at 6200. Candidate tokens inaccordance with the phrase fragment identified at 6200, such as inaccordance with one or more phrase patterns starting with the token“climate” followed by the equality token, followed by one or moresubsequent tokens, or token types, may be identified at 6300. Forexample, the token “polar”, the token “tropical”, or both, may beidentified as candidate tokens at 6300. Some indexed tokens differingfrom the phrase pattern, or phrase patterns, identified at 6200, such asthe token “by” and the token “precipitation”, may be omitted from thecandidate tokes. Candidate phrases in accordance with the phrasefragment identified at 6200 may be identified at 6400. For example, thecandidate phrase “climate=tropical” may be identified at 6400. Candidateresolved-requests starting with the string “precipitation by yearclimate=” may be identified as a candidate phrase at 6500. For example,the resolved-request “precipitation by year climate=tropical” may beidentified as a candidate resolved-request at 6500. The candidateresolutions may be sorted into maximum weight first order at 6600. Oneor more of the candidate resolutions may be output at 6700.

Although not shown in FIG. 6, intent-resolution using a phrase index6000 may include phrase indexing, such as the phrase indexing shown inFIG. 5.

As used herein, the terminology “computer” or “computing device”includes any unit, or combination of units, capable of performing anymethod, or any portion or portions thereof, disclosed herein.

As used herein, the terminology “processor” indicates one or moreprocessors, such as one or more special purpose processors, one or moredigital signal processors, one or more microprocessors, one or morecontrollers, one or more microcontrollers, one or more applicationprocessors, one or more central processing units (CPU)s, one or moregraphics processing units (GPU)s, one or more digital signal processors(DSP)s, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC)s,one or more application specific standard products, one or more fieldprogrammable gate arrays, any other type or combination of integratedcircuits, one or more state machines, or any combination thereof.

As used herein, the terminology “memory” indicates any computer-usableor computer-readable medium or device that can tangibly contain, store,communicate, or transport any signal or information that may be used byor in connection with any processor. For example, a memory may be one ormore read only memories (ROM), one or more random access memories (RAM),one or more registers, low power double data rate (LPDDR) memories, oneor more cache memories, one or more semiconductor memory devices, one ormore magnetic media, one or more optical media, one or moremagneto-optical media, or any combination thereof.

As used herein, the terminology “instructions” may include directions orexpressions for performing any method, or any portion or portionsthereof, disclosed herein, and may be realized in hardware, software, orany combination thereof. For example, instructions may be implemented asinformation, such as a computer program, stored in memory that may beexecuted by a processor to perform any of the respective methods,algorithms, aspects, or combinations thereof, as described herein.Instructions, or a portion thereof, may be implemented as a specialpurpose processor, or circuitry, that may include specialized hardwarefor carrying out any of the methods, algorithms, aspects, orcombinations thereof, as described herein. In some implementations,portions of the instructions may be distributed across multipleprocessors on a single device, on multiple devices, which maycommunicate directly or across a network such as a local area network, awide area network, the Internet, or a combination thereof.

As used herein, the terminology “determine,” “identify,” “obtain,” and“form” or any variations thereof, includes selecting, ascertaining,computing, looking up, receiving, determining, establishing, obtaining,or otherwise identifying or determining in any manner whatsoever usingone or more of the devices and methods shown and described herein.

As used herein, the term “computing device” includes any unit, orcombination of units, capable of performing any method, or any portionor portions thereof, disclosed herein.

As used herein, the terminology “example,” “embodiment,”“implementation,” “aspect,” “feature,” or “element” indicates serving asan example, instance, or illustration. Unless expressly indicated, anyexample, embodiment, implementation, aspect, feature, or element isindependent of each other example, embodiment, implementation, aspect,feature, or element and may be used in combination with any otherexample, embodiment, implementation, aspect, feature, or element.

As used herein, the terminology “or” is intended to mean an inclusive“or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise,or clear from context, “X includes A or B” is intended to indicate anyof the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A; Xincludes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” issatisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, thearticles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appendedclaims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unlessspecified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to asingular form.

Further, for simplicity of explanation, although the figures anddescriptions herein may include sequences or series of steps or stages,elements of the methods disclosed herein may occur in various orders orconcurrently. Additionally, elements of the methods disclosed herein mayoccur with other elements not explicitly presented and described herein.Furthermore, not all elements of the methods described herein may berequired to implement a method in accordance with this disclosure.Although aspects, features, and elements are described herein inparticular combinations, each aspect, feature, or element may be usedindependently or in various combinations with or without other aspects,features, and elements.

Although some embodiments herein refer to methods, it will beappreciated by one skilled in the art that they may also be embodied asa system or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of thepresent invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment,an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software,micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardwareaspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “processor,”“device,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention maytake the form of a computer program product embodied in one or morecomputer readable mediums having computer readable program code embodiedthereon. Any combination of one or more computer readable mediums may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium include the following: an electrical connection havingone or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a randomaccess memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmableread-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, amagnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium maybe any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by orin connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, ordevice.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to CDs, DVDs,wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitablecombination of the foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object-oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Attributes may comprise any data characteristic, category, content, etc.that in one example may be non-quantifiable or non-numeric. Measures maycomprise quantifiable numeric values such as sizes, amounts, degrees,etc. For example, a first column containing the names of states may beconsidered an attribute column and a second column containing thenumbers of orders received for the different states may be considered ameasure column.

Aspects of the present embodiments are described above with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a computer, such as a special purposecomputer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce amachine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor ofthe computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, createmeans for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchartand/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer programinstructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that candirect a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, orother devices to function in a particular manner, such that theinstructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an articleof manufacture including instructions which implement the function/actspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. Thecomputer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, otherprogrammable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause aseries of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. The flowcharts and block diagrams in thefigures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation ofpossible implementations of systems, methods and computer programproducts according to various embodiments of the present invention. Inthis regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may representa module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or moreexecutable instructions for implementing the specified logicalfunction(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with certainembodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to belimited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intendedto cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements includedwithin the scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accordedthe broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modificationsand equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: obtaining data expressing ausage intent, the data expressing the usage intent indicating anunresolved data portion; identifying a phrase fragment based on the dataexpressing the usage intent and a defined phrase pattern, the phrasefragment including the unresolved data portion; identifying zero or morecandidate tokens by traversing a token index based on the phrasefragment; identifying, by a processor, zero or more candidate phrases bytraversing a phrase index based on the phrase fragment, whereinidentifying the candidate phrases includes, in response to adetermination that the phrase index includes an indexed phrase at leastpartially matching the phrase fragment in accordance with the definedphrase pattern, the indexed phrase is identified as one of the candidatephrases; identifying zero or more candidate resolved-requests bytraversing a resolved-request index based on the data expressing theusage intent; weighting the candidate tokens, the candidate phrases, andthe candidate resolved-request, to obtain zero or more weightedcandidate tokens, zero or more weighted candidate phrases, and zero ormore weighted candidate resolved-requests; sorting the weightedcandidate tokens, the weighted candidate phrases, and the weightedcandidate resolved-request to obtain sorted candidate resolutions; andoutputting one or more of the sorted candidate resolutions forpresentation to a user as respective candidates for resolving theunresolved data portion.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dataexpressing the usage intent includes string data indicating theunresolved data portion, and the phrase fragment omits data portionsother than the unresolved data portion.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the phrase fragment includes an ordered sequence of tokenspreceding the unresolved data portion.
 4. The method of claim 3, whereinthe data expressing the usage intent includes string data indicating theunresolved data portion.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the dataexpressing the usage intent omits string data indicating the unresolveddata portion.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: in responseto a determination that the phrase index omits an indexed phrasematching the phrase fragment, indexing the phrase fragment in the phraseindex.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the data expressingthe usage intent includes obtaining the data expressing the usage intentin response to user input.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein a candidatephrase from the candidate phrases is a previously indexed phraseassociated with an organization wherein the user is associated with theorganization.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein a candidate phrase fromthe candidate phrases is a previously indexed phrase associated with theuser.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined phrase pattern isone of a plurality of defined phrase patterns.
 11. A method comprising:obtaining data expressing a usage intent, the data expressing the usageintent indicating an unresolved data portion; identifying a phrasefragment based on the data expressing the usage intent and a definedphrase pattern, the phrase fragment including the unresolved dataportion; identifying, by a processor, zero or more candidate phrases bysearching a phrase index based on the phrase fragment, whereinidentifying the candidate phrases includes: in response to adetermination that the phrase index includes one or more indexed phrasesat least partially matching the phrase fragment in accordance with thedefined phrase pattern, the indexed phrases are identified as candidatephrases; and in response to a determination that the phrase index omitsan indexed phrase matching the phrase fragment, indexing the phrasefragment in the phrase index; and outputting one or more of thecandidate phrases for presentation to a user as respective candidatesfor resolving the unresolved data portion.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein: the data expressing the usage intent includes string dataindicating the unresolved data portion; and the phrase fragment omitsdata portions other than the unresolved data portion.
 13. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the phrase fragment includes a token or an orderedsequence of tokens preceding the unresolved data portion.
 14. The methodof claim 13, wherein the data expressing the usage intent includesstring data indicating the unresolved data portion.
 15. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the data expressing the usage intent omits string dataindicating the unresolved data portion.
 16. The method of claim 11,wherein the indexed phrases are previously indexed phrases associatedwith the user.
 17. A low-latency database analysis system comprising: asystem access interface unit configured to generate data expressing ausage intent, the data expressing the usage intent indicating anunresolved data portion; and a relational search unit configured to:obtain the data expressing the usage intent from the system accessinterface unit; identify a phrase fragment based on the data expressingthe usage intent and a defined phrase pattern, the phrase fragmentincluding the unresolved data portion; identify zero or more candidatetokens by traversing a token index based on the phrase fragment;identify zero or more candidate phrases by traversing a phrase indexbased on the phrase fragment, wherein traversing the phrase indexincludes, in response to a determination that the phrase index includesan indexed phrase at least partially matching the phrase fragment inaccordance with the defined phrase pattern, identifying the indexedphrase as one of the candidate phrases, wherein the indexed phrase isassociated with a user associated with the data expressing the usageintent; in response to a determination that the phrase index omits anindexed phrase matching the phrase fragment, index the phrase fragmentin the phrase index; identify zero or more candidate resolved-requestsby traversing a resolved-request index based on the data expressing theusage intent; weight the candidate tokens, the candidate phrases, andthe candidate resolved-request, to obtain zero or more weightedcandidate tokens, zero or more weighted candidate phrases, and zero ormore weighted candidate resolved-requests; sort the weighted candidatetokens, the weighted candidate phrases, and the weighted candidateresolved-requests to obtain sorted candidate resolutions; and output oneor more of the sorted candidate resolutions to the system accessinterface unit, wherein the system access interface unit is configuredto present one or more of the sorted candidate resolutions to the useras respective candidates for resolving the unresolved data portion. 18.The system of claim 17, wherein: the data expressing the usage intentincludes string data indicating the unresolved data portion; and thephrase fragment omits data portions other than the unresolved dataportion.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein: the phrase fragmentincludes a token or an ordered sequence of tokens preceding theunresolved data portion; and the data expressing the usage intentincludes string data indicating the unresolved data portion.
 20. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein: the phrase fragment includes a token or anordered sequence of tokens preceding the unresolved data portion; andthe data expressing the usage intent omits string data indicating theunresolved data portion.